Tourniquet
by Lady Yue-chan
Summary: A shattered heart... a moment of weakness... a cherished friend becomes the enemy. Set in Season R.
1. Ch 1: An Angel's Tears

_**Chapter One: An Angel's Tears**_

What do you do when the one you love says that they don't love you anymore? What do you do when every word that person says is designed to chip away at your heart and drive you away? Some people nurse their pain, others rage, and a rare few hold onto precious hope that it was all a horrible mistake and that they will once again go back to their happily ever after.

Tsukino Usagi was one of those rare few that held onto hope. Why shouldn't she? The man she loved was the same man she had loved in another life. The same man that had been the reason she had committed suicide in aforementioned previous life because the very thought of living without him had been unthinkable and unbearable to endure for more then that single moment it took to comprehend his death, feel the pain and make her decision.

They had found each other again in this lifetime. It had been a bit of a rocky start, with lots of fights that she attributed to simmering sexual tension that neither had been willing to admit at that time. And plus there had been the problem of dealing with the Dark Kingdom and the dark forces that had destroyed their happiness before. But somehow they had gotten past all that and fallen in love once more, a love she thought was even stronger and more powerful then what they had shared during the Silver Millennium. And it was with the power of their love and the love she shared with her friends that had defeated the evil that caused them to die in their previous lives.

Suffice it say, Usagi thought she had some pretty damn good reasons to believe that she and her Mamo-chan would get back together again. All she had to do was find out the reason that had caused Mamoru to break away with her in the first place and fix it. She had to believe in that because she didn't think she would survive if all hope was gone.

So with those thoughts in mind, she had spent the past half hour, as soon as Haruna-sensei had freed her from detention, tracking the man down to ask him for the real reason for their break up.

She found him running in the park, which only further served to prove in her mind that something was clearly wrong. She knew her man well enough to know that while he did run to keep in shape and be able to fight their enemies, he also ran when something was on his mind. Besides, she knew that he preferred running in the mornings because it was cooler.

"Mamo-chan?" she called out as she slowly approached, when he stopped at a water fountain for a drink.

"Don't call me that anymore," he said, his voice having the same chilling effect on her as being hit by one of Mercury's attacks that she hadn't been able to dodge in one of Luna's evil Senshi training sessions. Actually Mercury's attacks left her feeling a lot warmer then her beloved Mamo-chan's voice at the moment. "What do you want?"

"Why did you break up with me," she asked. "I want to know the real reason."

"I already told you."

"No, you didn't," she countered. "You said you didn't love me and I don't believe that. People just don't fall out of love. Not like that. No one falls out of love in a matter of hours."

"They do when they were never in love to begin with."

"What are you talking about," she whispered, as the light of hope inside of her dimmed with his words.

"I mean that I never loved you in this life," he replied. "Think about it, Usagi. Before we remembered our past lives, we argued and fought. We hated each other."

He looked away from her when she began blinking rapidly and her cerulean blue eyes began to look glassy.

"The only reason I asked you out after the Dark Kingdom was defeated was because of those feelings I had for the Princess of the Moon."

"But I am the Princess of the Moon!"

"No, you're not. Not really. You look like her and have the powers that she did, but you're not her. You're nothing like her at all. And I'm tired of trying to pretend that you are. I'm tired of letting the past affect my present."

"But-"

"I don't love you anymore," he yelled, although in his heart he denied it vehemently.

Because he did love her; he loved her more then life itself, but it was because of his love that he had to push her away. He was doing this to save her life. She would die if they stayed together. His dream had shown him that.

No, he wasn't a foolish man to believe in just any dream he had, but how could he ignore a dream that kept recurring relentlessly night after night. Always the same, down to the very last detail. Every night he watched as his precious princess died because they were together.

Who was he tempt fate? The last time he had had a recurring dream, it had led him to his love and now another dream was snatching her away.

"Not…love me," she whispered.

Mamoru turned and walked away from her, silently begging her to forgive him for hurting her. For causing the tears that he knew were sure to come. He wouldn't be surprised if the heavens struck him down with lightning for making an angel cry.

Usagi watched as the love of her life walk away, the wind gently blowing her golden blonde hair. She watched until she could no longer see him and then slowly began to walk home. Halfway there, she slipped into a dark alley and leaned against the cool brick wall, finally letting herself break down and cry. Tears poured down her cheeks as she let out heart wrenching sobs.

"I never hated you," she cried. "Even when we were fighting… I wondered what it would be like to be your girl. To feel your arms around me… your lips on mine. Why couldn't you love me? Why wasn't I good enough for you to love?"

She pushed away from the brick wall and turned around and punched it hard as she could, relishing the brief pain that it caused her because for that moment it pushed aside the pain of her broken heart. Looking down at her hand, she saw that her fingers looked slightly swollen and her knuckles were scrapped and was starting to bleed, but otherwise she hadn't broken anything, although the wall now had a dent in it which was because of her Senshi powers, the same powers that protected her from breaking her hand if she had been an ordinary girl.

Giving herself a few more minutes to cry, Usagi pulled herself together. Focusing her attention on her hand, she called the power of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou to heal it so she wouldn't have to explain her injury to anyone. She then pulled out a mirror and made sure her eyes were no longer red and that there was no evidence that she had been crying before continuing home.

"I'm home," she said, her voice flat and without her usual good cheer in it.

"Hey baka," Shingo greeted her. "You're late. Did you get detention again today?"

"Shingo, be nice," his mother reprimanded him. "How was your day, Usagi?"

"Fine," was her answer.

Ikuko frowned as she pushed a strand of wavy blue hair out of her eyes. Something was terribly wrong. There had been such a lifeless look in her daughter's eyes just now. Even when she had depressed or unhappy in the past, there had always been a faint sparkle of something… a je ne sais quois in Usagi's eyes, but not today.

'_What could have happened to cause this,'_ Ikuko thought. _'What could have hurt my baby girl to make her look as if her whole world had crashed around her?'_

In her room, Usagi plopped down upon her bed. As she looked around her room, she felt the tears threatening to spill again. Biting her lip and blinking a few times, she was able to force the tears back. She was glad that Luna was with Ami right now because she didn't want to be questioned about what happened and why she looked like she was going to resemble a human Niagara Falls.

The reason for the tears that wanted to flow free was because her room contained so many items that reminded her of Mamoru.

The pink bunny resting on her bed was a prize that Mamoru had won for her when they had gone to the amusement park.

On her night stand was picture in a silver frame with an entwined rose and crescent moon engraved on the bottom right-hand corner. The picture in the frame showed her and Mamoru in front of the Crown Game Center on their first day as an official couple.

And then there was…

She got up and walked to her bureau. Carefully she opened the glass jewelry box and pulled out a star locket hanging from a delicate gold chain.

It was the same locket that she had given him a thousand years ago so he would always remember her and be reminded of the love they shared.

The same locket that helped bring them back together.

The same locket that had helped trigger his memory when he had been brainwashed by that bitch, Beryl and helped to cleanse the negative energy from his body.

And the same locket that now drove the final blow into her heart, or to be more precise the pieces of her heart, grinding those pieces until they were little more then dust in the wind. Her body shuddered as she felt as she had been hit by one of Mako-chan's thunder bolts and she had to sit down because the pain was too much for her to bear.

"Usagi," Chibi-Usa chirped as she bounced into the room, her ruby red eyes sparkling with excitement. "There's going to be a Senshi meeting at the temple. At 5 o'clock."

"Okay," Usagi responded mechanically. A part of her wanted to hate Chibi-Usa because shortly after the pink-haired girl's appearance that Mamoru had broken up with her, but another part of her scolded her for such thoughts because that part of her wanted nothing more then to protect the child and erase the fear and sadness that lurked in her eyes.

"Wow! That's a pretty locket," Chibi-Usa exclaimed, when her eyes lit upon the locket in Usagi's hand.

"Do you want it," Usagi asked. "You can have it if you want."

"But it's so nice," the little girl protested. "This locket has to be very special to you."

"It's not," Usagi replied. Maybe it was once very precious to her, but now it had become a source of pain and a symbol of all that she had lost. "It's just a trinket."

Usagi handed the star locket to Chibi-Usa, who gave her a sweet smile and thanked her for the locket.

"Come on Usagi," Chibi-Usa said. "It's 4:33."

"You go on ahead Chibi-Usa," Usagi replied. "I have a few things to do before I go to the meeting."

"Okay," Chibi-Usa replied and then added as she ran out. "But Rei-chan's going to kill you if you're late."

As soon as she was alone again, Usagi gathered all the things that reminded her of Mamoru and placed them into a box. She then placed the box into the back of her closet before leaving her room to go the meeting.

Because it was 4:48 by the time she had finished with her task, she decided to take the shortcut through the park to get to Rei's faster. The last thing she needed to deal with was Rei yelling at her again for being late again. As she walked through the park, she heard a familiar scream.

She ran towards the direction of the scream and saw Chibi-Usa fleeing from a Droid with a garden motif and the standard porn queen outfit. It seemed to be the rule of thumb for all evil that all theirs monsters had to be porno rejects or something.

"What is it with the bad guys and their porn queen monsters," Usagi muttered as she pulled out her pink transformation broach.

"Moon…Crystal….Power! Make Up!"

Glowing pink ribbons wrapped themselves around her before fusing together to become her Senshi fuku and the familiar boost of adrenaline that coursed through her body whenever she transformed. As soon as she had finished transforming, she used her tiara to hit the droid's arm and get its attention away from Chibi-Usa.

"Who's there," the droid demanded.

Sailor Moon stepped out of the shadows. "How dare you terrorize small children, you fiend. I am Sailor Moon, the Champion of Justice and innocent children." She knew her line went 'I am Sailor Moon, the Champion of Love and Justice,' but she didn't have much faith in love anymore so why say it? "On behalf of the Moon, I will right wrongs and triumph over all evil and that means you, you X-rated movie reject!"

"Die, Sailor Moon," the Droid cried as she threw razor sharp flower petals at Sailor Moon.

"Oh please," Sailor Moon replied, as she nimbly dodged the attack. "Your attack is so pathetic. Chibi-Usa, run to the others!"

"But-" the little girl protested.

"Do it," snapped the golden haired heroine. The little girl nodded and turned and ran.

"Come back here," the droid cried, its attention returning to young girl.

"Hey Slut Queen! I'm the one you should be worried about," Sailor Moon yelled, kicking the Droid in the back of the head.

She hadn't wanted to fight another Droid today, especially since the Dark Moon had been sending them more frequently lately. But since they had sent another one, she might as well use the damn thing to vent the pain and anger in her soul.

Mercilessly she attacked the droid with her hands and feet until finally she decided that it wasn't worth her time to fight with anymore. Then she pulled out her Moon Scepter out of her subspace pocket and aimed it at the droid.

"Moon… Princess…Halation!"

She watched as the Droid turned into moon dust for turning away. As she walked away, she heard the evil laughter of an old man before something hit her in the back of her head and then everything went black.

* * *

_**Final Thought from Usagi:**_

_Mamo-chan..._

* * *

_**-chan**__ - suffix for a name that means family or close friend. may be offensive if you don't know that person well._

_**-sensei**__ - suffix for a name, usually used when a student addresses a teacher_

_**Senshi -**__ soldier, warrier, fighter_

_**Maboroshi no Ginzuishou -**__ Illusionary Silver Crystal_

_**baka - **__stupid, idiot_

_**fuku -**__ used to refer to the uniform worn by female Japanese students. In SM, it is used to refer to the outfit the Senshi wear when they transform._

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim any rights to Sailor Moon or the characters associated with the anime/manga. Those rights belong to Takeuchi Naoko and anyone else she says has rights to it.


	2. Ch 2: Embracing the Darkness

_**Chapter Two: Embracing the Darkness**_

Chiba-Usa charged into Rei's room, her face red and her breathing labored as if she had run a five-mile marathon straight without pausing for any breaks. The conversation paused as the four teenage girls and two felines turned to look at the little girl.

Rei was sprawled out comfortably in her desk chair, sitting sideways so her legs were hanging over an arm of said chair. Makoto was on the bed with Minako sitting on the floor in front of her, a magazine opened to show various hairstyles, which she had clearly been showing to the brunette as to how she wanted her hair styled. As for the calmest and quieter of the Senshi, Ami was in the process of trimming Artemis's claws; the white furred feline, despite boasting a greater intelligence then the average was reacting with the same anxiety and panic of the average cat. The only difference in the situation was that the average cat didn't have the ability to creatively curse, come up with threats of retribution and extravagant promises if he was released from his torture. Luna sat nearby watching the antics of her mate with female amusement.

"Where's Usagi-chan," Minako asked, wincing when Makoto tugged on a strand of blonde hair a little too hard.

"Don't tell that baka got detention again," Rei said, glancing at the clock. "Although if she did, Haruna-sensei is holding her a lot longer then usual."

"She's… fighting a…. Droid," Chibi-Usa said, managing to get the words out as she panted and fought to catch her breath. She had run faster then she had before, worry for Usagi urging her on and fear that lady with lime green hair and creepily weird laughter would take advantage of Sailor Moon's distraction by the Droid to capture her. Her words had the effect of sharpening the attention on her by the occupants of the room.

"Did Tuxedo Kamen arrive to help her before you left," Makoto asked, as she hastily pulled the Senshi of Love's hair back in its customary style with its trademark red bow.

"Nooo," the little girl replied, a slight wail to her voice that was eerily similar to the blonde that she resembled. Despite denials from both, one claiming the other was a pesky little brat and the other retorting that the elder was a clumsy baka, there were quite a few similarities between the two that made the others suspect that there really was some kind of blood tie between the two.

"Is she nuts to try to take one of them by herself," Artemis cried. "Those things have gotten more powerful ever since Rubeus was defeated. You girls better transform and go help her fast."

Transformation wands were pulled out subspace pockets, as the girls ran towards the door without having to be told twice. A single thought filled each Senshi's mind.

'_Please, let Usagi-chan be okay.'_

* * *

Sailor Moon groaned as she opened her eyes, the back of her head still aching from where she had been struck. Pain was quickly replaced with panic as she realized that even though her eyes were open, she could see nothing but pitch black. Where the hell was she?

The last thing she had remembered was being in the park after she had managed to defeat the Droid, which would definitely something to brag about. The current crop of Droids, since the defeat of Rubeus, had become stronger and more deadly. It was near impossible for any of her or friends to defeat one on their own. It had required an increased amount of teamwork on their part, which while served to improve their ability to fight as a unit also was deterrent when a Droid showed up while more then one of them way busy with obligations that couldn't easily be dismissed or escaped.

"So this is the mighty Champion of Love and Justice. So young to be so powerful, yet expected from the keeper of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou."

She turned towards the direction of the voice, seeing nothing but absolute blackness until suddenly a tiny ball of light, no bigger then the tip of a pen appeared. The light grew larger until it revealed itself to be crystal ball about as big as one of the 9-pound bowling balls that Mako-chan liked to use when they all went bowling. The glow of the crystal ball gave enough illumination that she was able to see a cloaked figure, but nothing more.

"Who are you," she demanded, her eyes flickering to the sides of hoping seeing something else, some exit or something in which she could make her escape. But there was nothing. Nothing but black space all around her. "Where am I?"

"This is my own private dimension, my dear and I am known as Wise Man," the cloaked figure replied.

"You're the one who attacked me before, aren't you," she cried.

"Now why would I attack you, my lady," he asked.

"You're the enemy," she cried. "You're the one who keeps sending the Droids. Why are you trying to destroy the earth? What did you do to Chiba-Usa's mother?"

"Are you sure about that Sailor Moon," inquired Wise Man. "Perhaps it is the ones who claim to care about you that are the enemies. Perhaps they're lying to you."

"Liar," she cried. "My loved ones would never hurt me. They care about me. They would never lie."

The Wise Man smiled, knowing she could not see his face under the cloak. When she had been unconscious, he had used his magic to enter her mind. Even unconscious, she had had the power to thrust him out, but not before he had seen a brief glimpse. That brief glimpse had told him what he needed to know.

The girl had been deeply hurt by the one she had loved. It was a hurt that cut her not only in her heart but to her soul because the one who had inflicted the pain was her soul mate, her destined partner by fate and the other half of her. That kind of pain had the power to put doubt in one's heart about love and about one's loved ones. If your other half could betray you, then who was to say others couldn't do the same. And what if they truly didn't care for you as you cared for them?

This knowledge had enabled him to hear the doubt in her voice when she had claimed that her loved ones wouldn't hurt her. The doubt he knew that was in her pure heart.

A pure heart that he had every intention of tainting to claim the power that she wielded. She would become his finest weapon in achieving his goals.

"Then how do you explain this young man," Wise Man said. A black mist came from the crystal ball and swirled in front of her before taking the form of Tuxedo Kamen.

"Tuxedo Kamen," she cried, her eyes widening and unknowingly relaxing her guard enough so that the Wise Man's magic could enter her mind.

"What do you want," Tuxedo Kamen asked coldly. "I told you that I don't love you. I despise you Sailor Moon."

She flinched.

"You're weak and pathetic," he continued. "You're nothing but a dumb blonde who can't walk and breathe at the same time without klutzing out. How could I love someone like you? I despise you."

She whimpered.

"I've found someone better then you," Tuxedo Kamen said, and she watched in horror as Sailor Mars appeared from the shadows. Tuxedo Kamen wrapped his arms around Sailor Mars and kissed her passionately.

"No," she whispered. "You're supposed to be my best friend. How could you?"

Salior Mars pulled away from Tuxedo Kamen and stalked towards her. When she was standing in front of Sailor Moon, Mars slapped her with enough force to cause a red hand mark to appear upon the blonde's cheek.

"How could I," she asked in amusement. "Easy. I was never your best friend. I just hung around to get the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou from you. You're not worthy to be the Princess of the Moon anymore. Reincarnation is supposed to improve a person, but you've just become pathetic. I'd make a much better princess then you ever would."

"That you would, my love," Tuxedo Kamen said, wrapping his arms around the Senshi of Fire.

Sailor Moon dropped to her knees, closed her eyes and then covered her ears, while shaking her head. "No, this isn't true. This isn't real. Mamo-chan may not love me anymore, but Rei would never betray me like that. She wouldn't! We're best friends! We're as close as sisters! It isn't real!"

But she couldn't escape the betrayal in her mind and she was forced to watch as Tuxedo Kamen kissed Mars with the same passion that he had once kissed her.

No, it was different. Her memories began to change on her to things they weren't as Wise Man used the opening her pain had given him.

* * *

"Oh Mamo-chan," Usagi sighed as she tilted her face up towards his in anticipation of a kiss. There was nothing more wonderful and amazing then being kissed by the man you loved. He smiled down at her before his face lowered and she felt the press of his lips against hers.

She felt her toes curl in pleasure as she pressed her lips against his, kissing him with all the passion of her young heart and all the yearning that came from the woman she was now and who she had once been. In this time and place, kissing was all she'd be able to get him from; yet in another life there had been more then kisses. She had memories of heated embraces, clothes being pulled of in frenzy as they tried to get as close to each other as two souls could be.

A moment later, she noticed that she was the only one who seemed to be enjoying the kiss. Oh, Mamoru was putting some effort into it but the passion was all hers. She might as well be kissing her hand, because it would be the same. It wasn't the same. Not like before. Not like when they were Serenity and Endymion.

No, there had been that one time just after he had his memory had returned after the battle with Ail and An. But then it had changed. Why hadn't she noticed it before? She was the only one who was putting a real effort into their relationship.

The kiss broke. He smiled at her and said all the right things, but this time Usagi could hear them as fake. As they had been fake all the times before. She responded on auto-pilot as he told her that he had to go study for an exam and watched as he exchanged good bye with the others.

Watched as he exchanged looks with Rei and noticed for the first time that there was more to that look. The heat and passion she wanted from him was directed at Rei.

* * *

"No, it's not true," Sailor Moon cried. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the hurtful memory. That wasn't how things were. That wasn't what happened.

Or was it?

* * *

"Can't you do anything right," Tsukino Ikuko demanded, shaking another of Usagi's tests in her daughter's face. The test paper has a prominent 30% scrawled across the top along with x's all over it to indicate all the problems that the teenager had gotten wrong.

"Honestly, don't you ever study Usagi? If you just studied even a little, you might actually be able to manage to make a passing grade. But clearly wasting time and eating is all you're good for."

"Mama…" the blonde said slowly, not knowing what she could say to make up for failing grade. What could she say? She glanced at her father, who sat with his arms crossed and shaking his head in disgust.

"We don't want to hear your excuses, Usagi," her father said. "Excuses are worthless. What we want is change, young lady. We want to see improvement instead of this repeated failure."

"Then you'd be asking for a miracle, Dad," Shingo said as he entered the dining room, shooting his sister a sneer. "There's nothing that's going to make that baka improve. Honestly, she's such an embarrassment that I wish I was an only child. It wouldn't' be so bad if she had one saving grace, but she doesn't even have that."

"Now Shingo, your sister is seeing that young man who's studying to be a doctor," her mother replied. Their mother glanced at Usagi and saw the crestfallen look on her face. "Don't tell me he broke up with you? What did you do wrong?"

"Nothing," Usagi answered. "He just broke up with me after Chibi-Usa showed up."

"Don't blame your cousin for your failures," Kenji scolded. "You know Usagi, your brother is right. It's plain disgraceful. If a girl can't do well in school, she should at least be able to find a good man to marry one day, but you couldn't even do that."

"But Papa," she protested, but it didn't matter because her family had walked out of the room, ignoring her because she was nothing more a failure and disgrace to the Tsukino name.

* * *

"Mama… Papa… Shingo… Please no!"

Tears streamed down her face, the pain in her heart intensifying. Her own flesh and blood had turned their backs on her. Because she couldn't live up to their standards, she had become nothing more then a dirty family secret. Why hadn't she noticed before? Why hadn't she realized how much they hated her? How could she have forgotten all those hurtful words?

Yet the memories didn't stop there.

Everyone she had ever known had used her or treated her badly in some way. Motoki-onii-chan… Reika-san… Umino-kun… Yuuichirou-san… Naru-chan… none of them had cared. None.

The Senshi had been no better. They had been disappointed in her. She wasn't the Princess they remembered. She was inferior copy of the Princess they had once faithfully served. A klutzy ditz that they were forced by destiny to risk their lives for because she was the wielder of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou. Artemis and Luna felt the same as well, disappointed that they had searched all this time for her. They were all sick of it.

Sick of her.

They only stayed because of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou. Only stayed until they could figure out how they could take it from her and give it to a vessel who was more worthy of using it and being their Princess. Like Rei. Rei would be a perfect Princess and it was clear that Mamoru, the reincarnated Prince of Earth thought the same

Chibi-Usa sneered at her and said that she thought Sailor Moon was a horrible Senshi and how she wanted Sailor Mars to save her mommy. Because with Sailor Mars she knew that her mommy would be saved, while Sailor Moon would more then likely fail and destroy any hope of saving the little girl's mother.

Sailor Moon opened her eyes, eyes that had lost their vivaciousness and clarity. Instead they were had a glassy and dull look to them. In front of her was the Wise Man, yet what she saw was every person she had every cared of them, standing in a group. Not a single one had any kindness and compassion in their face. All she saw was anger and disgust before in unison they turned and walked away, leaving her alone.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," Sailor Moon screamed, tears streaming down her face as she shook her head wildly back and forth. "Why don't you love me? Why couldn't you accept me for who I am now? I accepted you all! I never betrayed you! Why are you betraying me? Why are you leaving me here alone?"

_'Betrayal… Unloved… Loneliness…,'_ whispered through her mind.

The light seemed to fade from her eyes. Just emptiness. Complete and utter emptiness.

"I've always been alone. Nobody cares about me. They all hate me," she whispered, the tears pouring down her cheeks faster. "They've always hated me. All that I have is pain."

"That's right," Wise Man said, two red eye-shaped lights glowing under the cloak. "All that you have is pain. There is not a single creature on Earth that has ever cared or treated you with kindness. None at all. All they do is use you and leave you with more pain."

"Use me," the blonde repeated. "More pain. I don't want to feel any more pain. No more. Please, no more!"

"I can help you so you never feel that pain again," the Wise Man said. "You'll never have to feel that pain again. Never be hurt by those who couldn't appreciate you for the precious treasure you are."

"How," she asked.

"All you have to do is take my hand," he replied, the cloak moved and suddenly there was phantom hand reaching out towards her. She stared at it for a second and then slowly placed her hand in his.

* * *

_**Final Thought from the Senshi:**_

_Usagi-chan!_

* * *

_**-chan**__ - suffix for a name that means family or close friend. may be offensive if you don't know that person well._

_**Senshi -**__ soldier, warrier, fighter_

_**Maboroshi no Ginzuishou -**__ Illusionary Silver Crystal_

_**baka - **__stupid, idiot_

_**onii-chan**__ - a term to refer to one's older brother or an older male that one has a close friendship with._

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim any rights to Sailor Moon or the characters associated with the anime/manga. Those rights belong to Takeuchi Naoko and anyone else she says has rights to it.


	3. Ch 3: Searching for the White Rabbit

_**Chapter 3: Searching for the White Rabbit**_

"Are you sure this is where the Droid and Sailor Moon were fighting," Sailor Mars asked Chibi-Usa, who had come with the Senshi via a piggy back ride on Jupiter's back. The Senshi of Fire glanced around the park, but there didn't seem to be any traces of porn star reject Droids or their Princess.

The park was quiet except for the chirping of some nearby birds. It was peaceful and beauty, yet something warned the miko that something wasn't right. Even before she had awakened as a Senshi, she had listened to that inner voice that had always guided her without fail. Her awakening as a Senshi had only explained why her ability to have visions was so well-developed. Mars was not only the planet of war and fire, but of prophecies as well.

"I'm positive," Chibi-Usa said, glancing around and looking slightly baffled. Being forced to mature quickly so she could save her mother and to protect the future by coming into the past, she had learned to be observant and pay attention to details. She was certain this was the spot where she had left Sailor Moon and the Droid to battle while she went for the others. Yet while all the details she had remembered were here, there was no Droid or Sailor Moon to be found.

"Then where is she," Jupiter demanded, her voice held a sharpness that came from worry and fear for her friend. Usagi had been the first one to befriend her when she had first transferred to Juuban Junior High. While it had been the blonde's appreciation of food and hunger that had lured her to come near Makoto, it was her pure heart that had seen past the tomboyish exterior to see the brunette's vulnerable and kind heart.

Because Usagi had taken the time to truly see her, the rest of their classmates had given a Makoto a chance too and she had never forgotten that kindness. It had only been an added bonus, in her mind, that her friend was also her Princess. True, Usagi didn't have the same grace that Serenity had, but the heart and soul of the woman was the same. Besides she figured that Usagi would eventually learn that grace as she grew older.

"This is the right spot," Mercury said, after scanning the area with her Mercury computer. "The scanner on my computer has picked up particles that are identical to the residue that is left over whenever Sailor Moon destroys a Droid with her Moon Scepter."

"That explains what happened to the Droid, but now where Sailor Moon is," Venus said. "Where could she be? And why hasn't she contacted us? It's not like her to be forgetful about stuff that is this important. Mercury, can you find her?"

"I'm not sure. The computer's picking up her residual energy signature, but that's it," was her answer, which didn't reassure any of them.

"What do we now," Chibi-Usa asked.

"I guess we go check to see if she's at the shrine," Mars said. "We could have missed her while we hurried over here."

"And if she's not there," asked the little girl.

"I don't know."

* * *

A column of dark energy pulsed in front of the Wise Man; the vague outline of a woman's form was barely visible in all that darkness. The dark energy would erase any beautiful and good memories the woman had from her mind, while keeping those that could easily be tainted so that the memory of what was became something entirely different then its original form. The tainted memories would only serve to reinforce to the manipulation and brainwashing he had done to make her his tool.

He could only thank her foolish soul mate for having given him such an easy opening to gain control of her. _'I suppose I owe that idiot Diamund's obsession with Neo-Queen Serenity and Ruebus's failures to defeat Sailor Moon. Without either of them, who knows if I would have made the connection that Sailor Moon was the Queen's past self.'_

And knowing who Neo-Queen Serenity had been in the past had given birth of a new plan in his mind. It had been fortunate that he had identified the younger version of the Queen and formed his plan just as her past self had been at her most vulnerable. He had no illusions that had the young woman not been suffering for complete heart break caused by her soul mate, he would not have had an easy time of capturing and gaining control of as easily as he had. It would have probably taken hours of torture and manipulation until he had broken her down to the point where she would accept the energy of the Dark Crystal.

'_It will not be long until this miserable planet is under my control. The Senshi will not be able to fight their precious Princess and risk harming her, but she will have no such qualms. I will have her destroy the Senshi and without them this planet will have no one to protect it. Once the Earth is mine, I will expand and control the entire universe.'_

Delighted with his thoughts, the Wise Man laughed, his laughter soon joined by that of the voice of a woman's. The woman's voice somehow managed to convey a chilling cold and foreboding that would have brought fear to any good person.

* * *

A day had passed since Usagi had last been seen.

The Senshi had returned to the Hikawa Shrine to discover that their hopes had been for naught since their leader was not there. They questioned Yuuichirou and Rei's grandpa and learned that there wasn't a hope that Usagi had shown up and left after they had run to the park to find her. Worried, the group had headed to the Tsukino residence to find that Usagi wasn't there either and unable to explain why they were concerned, there had been no way to tell their leader's mother that something was wrong.

With no leads, they had all agreed to split up and search the city for the blonde's usual haunts with the hope that she was there, while Chibi-Usa had been left at the Tsukino house with strict instructions to stay home and contact them immediately when Usagi showed up. The key word had been, since none wanted to think in the terms of 'if'; it was too scary to think otherwise.

By eight o'clock that evening, they had all received phone calls from Usagi's mom asking if they had seen the blonde. An hour later there had been more frantic phone calls from both of Usagi's parents in which their responses had not changed, although now guilt ate away at them because they couldn't tell the Tsukinos that the last the time their daughter had been seen while fighting an evil monster in defense of the Earth

No one had gotten much sleep that night, as worry and fear, had eaten away at all of them. Things hadn't gotten much better at school, particularly after Haruno-sensei had made an announcement in class about Usagi's disappearance and asking the students to report anything they knew. It wasn't surprising that the rest of the day had been rather somber and tense, since Usagi was a favorite among many because she warm-hearted and likable. Naru had looked like she was ready to burst into tears at any moment; not surprising since as one of Usagi-chan's best friends she would have been gotten a call the previous night from the Tsukinos and thus be fully aware of the situation before the announcement. Rei and Minako's days weren't much better, particularly after Makoto and Ami had given them an update via their communicators.

By the time school ended, the girls had met up front of the Crown Game Center with Chibi-Usa and the felines; the game center had always been one of Usagi's favorite hang out spots when she wasn't with her friends or there was Senshi business to deal with. Even though it was a pipe dream, they had all hoped that the blonde would be inside playing one of the Sailor V games, but of course she wasn't.

"There has to be something we can do to find Usagi-chan," Makoto said, looking to any casual observer as if she was ready to pound somebody into a mushy pulp of pain. However, to those who knew her it was clear that she was just frustrated and stressed to her breaking point. She had always been physically stronger then others, which came from her Jovian origins, and because of who she was and how others had influenced her she had been taught to use that strength to help and protect others. Yet none of that strength was doing her any good right now to help one of the people who held above all others.

"Perhaps…" Ami started to say hesitantly as if she wasn't sure of the reaction her suggestion would cause.

"Perhaps what," Minako questioned, a look in her eyes that said she might have an idea of what the other girl would say. Ami, by virtue of who she was as a person and being the Senshi of Wisdom and of Mercurian origin, was a genius capable of a level of analytical thinking that was sometimes beyond that of many people (well Umino and Reika-san seemed to hold their own pretty well against the blue-haired Senshi). But Minako was the Senshi of Love and while she didn't have Ami's capabilities, all things that dealt with that emotion were her domain and something she understood fairly well, even if that ability only seemed to work when it came to love of others (seeing as how her own love life stank).

"Perhaps we should speak with Mamoru-san," Ami said. "Despite their break up, he has always shown up when Usagi-chan is in danger, which means whatever metaphysical bond that connects them is still in tact regardless of their relationship situation. He might be able to use that connection to find Usagi-chan."

Rei and Makoto were silent as they considered Ami's words. Out of the group, those two would probably have the most volatile reaction to that suggestion as they were both hot-tempered individuals and both had a bit of a short-fuse when they were stressed as they currently were. There was also the factor that like all of them, they had a strong bond with Usagi, so the break up with Mamoru and its effect on Usagi also had effected them all too.

While in some ways Usagi had physically voiced her turmoil and upset over the situation, she had never truly vented all of the pain she had felt. It wasn't that their Princess didn't trust them; it was just in Usagi's nature not to burden or bring pain onto others (except evil scum, but there was always an exception to a rule). They had all been aware that Usagi had held back and contained the worst of her pain to protect them. Yet they had all felt a bit of it to some extent, Rei having felt more then the others due to her spiritual abilities.

Knowing how much Usagi was hurting without any good or reasonable explanation (not that any excuse Mamoru could make would have been good or reasonable for hurting someone they loved), hadn't made the Senshi feel very friendly towards the man, even if he did help them get out of jams with the Droids. So it was hardly a surprise that Ami was concerned about how those two friends would react to a suggestion of asking the man who hurt their dearest friend to help find her.

"Okay, so we use him, like the dog is he, to find Usagi," Rei said finally. She wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea, however she could see the logic in Ami's suggestion. Besides she wasn't going to turn down any idea to find her friend, even if meant using the one person who she'd rather skin alive or turn into Earth Prince flambé. She would use any means necessary to find her friend; well except hurting anybody because that would upset the blonde when the found her (although hurting Mamoru wasn't exactly a bad idea either and what Usagi didn't know…).

* * *

When Ami had suggested making use of Mamoru's ability to find Usagi, she had thought they would hunt down the man, explain the situation to the man and then go off to find their friend. Despite being a complete and utter ass, she didn't think he was without compassion and would have helped the Senshi. Of course, she realized now, in hindsight, that she forgotten to factor in the anger that her friends felt towards the man and how Usagi's presence leashed them for unleashing violence on the man.

She also hadn't realized her own capability of violence, although to be honest it had taken a little more to push her past reason and logic and into that extreme. It hadn't been until after they had arrived and Minako had realized and questioned Mamoru as to why he hadn't shown up as Tuxedo Kamen to help as soon as Usagi had transformed. The answer that had been given was that like Rei, his ability to sense Usagi went more then feeling the tug of the Senshi of the Moon's power whenever she transformed, but to some extent feeling the same things that the miko felt.

Having had an encounter with Usagi before she had encountered the Droid, Mamoru had using his power to block Usagi and the pain that had radiated through that connection. He had apparently been a little too successful since he had barely felt anything when Usagi had become Sailor Moon and when he had realized what he had done, the sensation of Usagi in danger had faded away so he had thought her safe and his presence unnecessary.

Rei and Makoto had exploded at that, not that Minako had been exactly calm. But while they had yelled and seemed physically imposing despite the differences in height and age (which came from seeing smalls bolts of lightning dance down Mako-chan's arms and little sparks of fire in Rei's hair), there had been no violence at that point. Violence had only occurred after Ami had stepped forward and popped Mamoru in the jaw, holding her fist in the way that Makoto had taught her, and knocking him to the ground. The others had stared at with their jaws hanging, since Ami was the last person anyone expected to punch another person.

After that things went a bit downhill, although Ami was able to regain enough control to ensure that Mamoru wasn't hurt too badly. The fact that the man hadn't done anything to defend himself or fight back was very telling of how much he realized and disliked what his actions and words had caused in Usagi. In any case, once the Senshi had been able to 'vent' a bit, they refocused on the more important task of finding their friend. Problem was that their 'hound dog' had led them straight back to the spot where Chibi-Usa had the day before.

"Are you sure he's not broken?"

"Mako-chan, I told you that you hit him too hard."

Mamoru shot them all an annoyed expression for discussing him like a kitchen appliance that wasn't capable of comprehending their words. "There is nothing wrong with me. Usagi's in the park. I'm positive of that."

"Then where is she, tux boy," Makoto demanded.

Mamoru knelt down, closing his eyes as he pressed a hand to the ground. As the Earth Prince, he had a connection with the planet which he could use in various ways. In this case, he was using his connection to the Earth while focusing on the connection that binded him to Usagi to help him find her. No matter, where she was, he would be able to find her; as long as she was on the planet that was.

"The lake," he said suddenly, his eyes opening. "I can sense her by the lake, but… it feels different somehow. I don't how to explain it, except her aura or power is off."

"We can worry about her aura later," Rei snapped. "Right now I just want to see if she's alright." She turned and ran towards the lake with the others hurrying after her. However, when they reached the lake, there wasn't a soul around."

"Ye-e-ah, Mako-chan definitely broke him with that last punch," Minako drawled, although even though her voice sounded like she was making light of the situation, the blonde was clearly upset that their plan to use Mamoru was failing horribly.

It was then they noticed that the park was eerily quite around them, which was stranger considering that the park usually had a good crowd at this time and the natural wildlife that lived there. Suddenly they heard the silvery bell-like laugh of a woman; a laugh that sounded familiar yet at the same seemed off. They looked around until Chibi-Usa noticed and brought to their attention to black rose petals, swirling above the lake for a moment, before they formed an outline of a woman.

The petals suddenly dissipated to reveal a woman floating over the lake in their place. The woman wore strapless black gown with slits that started mid-thigh and black stiletto shoes peeked out from under the hem of the gown. The dress fit her like a glove, enhancing the fullness of her breasts and following the curving lines of her body. Her hair was a silvery white and pulled into the familiar and unique hairstyle of the women of the Royal Family of the Moon.

The cerulean blue eyes that stared at them, which were as familiar to them as their own, were as cold as glaciers and hard as diamonds. No warmth or love shown out of these eyes, something that had never happened before no matter how angry the woman who possessed them had been. Not even Queen Beryl had ever seen such eyes and that villainess had every reason to deserve them.

Upon the woman's forehead was the inverted black crescent moon, the insignia of the Dark Moon clan.

"Usagi," Luna cried, her voice filled with disbelief. "Is that you?"

"Usagi," the woman said with amusement "Yes, I was once called that when I so pathetically believed that love and friendship actually existed in this world. But I no longer go by that name anymore. Now I am called..."

She paused, her lips curved up into a sensual smile. An evil smile.

"Lady Nemesis."

* * *

_**Final Thought from Mamoru:**_

_*grumbles* I told you I wasn't broken!_

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

_Thank you to everyone who took the time to leave me a review or have added this story as a favorite or on their story alert. It really made my day. =)_

****Bin82501 - Crystal - CherrySerenity-sama - Mizuki-Neko - - SailorHeart 01 - Coot - dainlord - Devon Ship'em - Serandi82 - Smckdwn823

* * *

_**-chan**__ - suffix for a name that means family or close friend. may be offensive if you don't know that person well._

_**Senshi **_**-**_ soldier, warrior, fighter_

_**-sensei**__ - __suffix for a name, usually used when a student addresses a teacher_

_**-san**__ – common honorific used to refer to someone that one respects and looks up to_

_**Maboroshi no Ginzuishou -**__ Illusionary Silver Crystal_

_**baka - **__stupid, idiot_

_**miko**__ - priestess_

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim any rights to Sailor Moon or the characters associated with the anime/manga. Those rights belong to Takeuchi Naoko and anyone else she says has rights to it.


	4. Ch 4: Lady Nemesis

_**Chapter 4: Lady Nemesis**_

"Lady Nemesis," whispered Chibi-Usa, her crimson eyes filled with complete and utter disbelief at she stared at the woman who had once been Sailor Moon. It couldn't be true, could it? Usagi had fought against the Black Moon, had made several memorable rants about their dirty tricks and how they threatened and abused innocent people. There was no way she could be on of them. Could she?

"Usagi, if this is your idea of a joke, it isn't funny," Rei said, her voice sounding like if she was trying to be angry to hide the fear of the truth her eyes saw. She prayed to her guardian planet that this was really a joke, one in bad taste, but a joke was better then the truth. Yet in her heart of hearts, she knew it wasn't.

"Do I look like I'm joking," asked Lady Nemesis, arching an eyebrow as her lips twisted into cruel smile, that the friend they knew would never have been capable of, not even if she had tried to pretend to be an evil bad guy.

"Usagi, what have they done to you," Minako cried, tears in her eyes that were moments from letting loose. No, this couldn't be. This wasn't Usagi-chan. Her princess… her best friend… no the woman she knew could not be this. Not willingly.

"Those monsters," Makoto agreed, desperately wishing that the cackling green-haired hyena would show up so she could smash a fist into the smug face.

"Monsters," Lady Nemesis said with a delicate snort. "They're not the monsters. The Dark Moon gave me truth. They have removed the blindfold from my eyes and showed me the world as it truly is. You, who I foolishly thought were friends, were the ones who lied to me. You punished me for not being perfect, for not being the same woman I was in another life.

"What are you talking about," Red demanded. "We would never do that to you!"

"Liar," sneered Lady Nemesis. "And you're the worst one of all, along with _**him**_. Both of you sneaking behind my back, cheating and plotting to get my crystal, that is mine by right of birth. I hate you! All of you! You and the rest of the people on this miserable planet… all of did nothing but cause me pain! Well I'm not going to take it anymore."

She held out her right hand in front of her and a black-purplish ball of liquid appeared before her. The liquid seemed to shift and twist, lengthening into a long staff before it hardened and turn into a black scepter with a sphere of clear glass sitting on the top end of it. Floating inside that glass sphere was the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, glowing with power. But something was off. The crystal no longer gave off a silvery white light as it glowed, but instead glowed with an ominous black light.

"DIE," the woman that had once been their cherished companion cried, as she pointed the scepter at them. A blast of dark energy shot out of the crystal towards them, but despite being in their civilian forms, all the training of their past lives and their current one allowed them to react and jump out the way. Mamoru grabbed Chibi-Usa and dodged the blast with the cats close at his heels.

"Transform," Artemis ordered.

"But Artemis it's Usagi-chan," Luna protested.

"And she's not holding back," the white cat replied bluntly. For all his joking ways, he could be serious when necessary and he understood the situation a lot better then the others. While he cared for their Princess, he was not overwhelmed by softer emotions like the females were nor did he hold a love for the Princess as Mamoru did, no matter how much the man said otherwise at the moment. "The Senshi won't be able to keep dodging any more attacks as they are now."

Makoto glanced at Usagi, no Lady Nemisis, because to think that their beloved friend would attack them was unbearable and seemed impossible to comprehend. There was no kindess in that woman. Aretmis was right. "He's right. Transform. It's the only way we can survive and figure out what the Black Moon did."

The girls exchanged looks and then nodded. Transformation wands were pulled out of subspace pockets and they quickly shed their civilian selves to done their fuku and greater control of the powers that each had born with. Mamoru pulled out a rose, turning into his alter ego Tuxedo Kamen. He didn't know if he had it in him to fight against Usagi, even only in defense, but he could protect Chibi-Usa, the only one of them who had no power.

The Senshi faced off with Lady Nemesis, who had seemed to wait for them to transform before attacking once more. Several blasts of dark energy, laced with traces of silvery white light came at them. It took all their concentration and training to avoid the blasts, cringing inside to see the devastation to the area around them. It also hurt knowing that those blasts had been intended for them; their best friend was attacking them with the intention to kill.

"How can she believe that we would hurt her," Venus asked as they watched their former leader stare down at them coldly. It was just so surreal that this was happening and if it wasn't for the huge craters littering the area and the sweat trailing down her skin as a result of the effort she had put into dodging those blasts, she would still be hard-pressed to believe that Usagi was evil and hell-bent on killing them. How were they going to get Usagi back?

Mercury stared hard at the woman who had been her first friend. Her heart filled with sorrow at the thought of having to fight Usagi, something so illogical that she never thought it would be possible, yet cool determination followed that sorrow. Determination that they would win their friend back. It was determination that made her look into those once warm cerulean blue eyes, the eyes that been a window into Usagi's soul, but were now as cold and opaque… Opaque as if….

"They brainwashed her," Mercury cried. "Those bastards brainwashed her."

Everyone turned in shock to stare at the blue-haired Senshi who had never uttered a single profanity before, even at times when she had provoked and highly vexed. Clearly this day was like having a lunar and solar eclipse on the night of the full moon of a Leap Year, because that was the only explanation for their Princess turning evil and the ever calm and logical Mercury to be swearing and punching men.

"Look at her eyes," Mercury said. "Usagi's eyes have always given her away her emotions. It's why she always loses when we play poker. But her eyes are blank. That's how a brainwashed or drugged person's eyes look. It's the same way Tuxedo Kamen looked when the Dark Kingdom brainwashed him."

"Usagi, snap out of it," Jupiter cried, her forest green eyes staring up into those cerulean orbs and pleading with them to go back to normal. "The Dark Moon has brainwashed you. You have to fight it!"

"Brainwashed me," Lady Nemesis replied in amusement. "No I think you're the ones who are trying to do the brainwashing. Wise Man has been honest with me, brutally honest in fact. He would never lie to his Queen."

"Usagi you have to return to normal," Chibi-Usa pleaded, feeling a fear that was a horrible and familiar as when she has seen her mother get hit by the attack by the Black Moon. "Please. You promised that you were going to help me save my mommy."

The little girl clasped her hands together and looked up at her heroine with beseeching eyes. A pale pink glow surrounded the little girl, causing everyone to gasp in surprise.

"Please remember the truth," Chibi-Usa cried. The pink glow that encased her shot out a blast of energy that hit Lady Nemesis. The dark Queen jerked back as if she had been slammed back by an eighteen-wheeler before sliding down onto her knees, still floating over the lake, her hands covering her ears as she screamed.

"Nooo," Lady Nemesis screamed. "Make it stop!"

In her mind, Lady Nemesis saw a vision of herself as she had once looked in Rei's room with the other girls. Books and papers were scattered around the room and she realized that it was a memory of a study session.

* * *

"Ugh," Usagi cried. "Let's take a break you guys. Maybe we could go down to the Crown Parlor and get something to eat?"

"No way Usagi," Rei replied. "You just took a break ten minutes ago."

"But I'm getting a headache," the blonde protested. "This stuff is soo hard."

"You'll never learn anything if you keep doing that," Minako scolded.

"Like you're one to talk," Makoto teased, as she reached over and pulled a manga out of Minako's science book. "Little Miss I'm-Pretending-To-Study-But-Is-Actually-Reading-A-Manga-Hidden-In-My-Textbook!"

Minako blushed bright red at getting caught as everyone laughed.

"Now get back to studying, Usagi," Rei ordered, when the laughter had died down.

"I don't see why we have to study now," Usagi complained. "We're not even in ninth grade yet. Why do we have to study for the high school entrance exams now?"

"Because Meatball Head," Rei replied. "Its better get a head start. And don't you want to get into the same high school as Ami, Makoto, and Minako. If you don't study now with us, you might get into some other school with a whole bunch of people you don't know."

"And high school won't be as much fun if you're not there, girl," Minako said.

"Yeah," Makoto and Ami agreed.

* * *

"They did that because they cared," Lady Nemesis questioned herself softly, as the scene faded from her mind and she stared in confusion as the pink light faded away from Chibi-Usa. "Are they right? Did Wise Man lie to me?"

"Don't listen to them, my queen," Wise Man's voice boomed as the skies darkened ominously. A pillar of dark energy hit Lady Nemesis. "They're lying to you. Like they always do. They don't care. They've never cared."

The same vision entered her mind again except this time the ending was different. Rei was telling her they were studying because they knew how stupid she was so that she would need lots of extra time. Then Minako said that she didn't know why they even tired since no amount of studying would help Usagi because she was so stupid and then Makoto and Ami agreed.

"Liars," she whispered. "You'll pay for your lies and the pain you put me through! I'll never forgive you! NEVER!"

Lady Nemisis disappeared in a swirl of black petals, leaving the others watching the spot she had disappeared, all of them lost in their own sorrow and pain for being unable to bring her back to normal.

"How could they have gotten her to believe their lies," Jupiter demanded. "Usagi's stronger then that."

"She was," Venus replied quietly, "until our resident masked hero dumped her without a good reason and put a dent in her belief in love and the people who care about her."

Seven sets of eyes, each displaying varying amounts of anger and hostility, turned their stare onto Tuxedo Kamen. Mars's eyes burned hot like the fire she used and it was clear that she was considering turning the man into a human torch.

"This is your fault," she cried. "My best friend is on the bad guys' side because of you. How could you do that to her? How could you make her cry and hurt so bad that she would be willing believe to all the shit that Dark Moon brainwashed her with?"

Tuxedo Kamen looked down. "I can't tell you."

SMACK!

Tuxedo Kamen stumbled slightly from the force of the slap that Mars had laid on him.

"No we're not going to have none of that B.S.," she snarled. "You are going to tell us and you're going to tell us now us why you hurt the one woman who loves you with every fiber of her being. And then you're going to help us figure out how to bring her back to us. After she had returned to her normal self, I want to see you on your hands and knees, begging for forgiveness and going out of your way to pamper her. Capice?"

At first, Tuxedo Kamen looked angry and defiant. He wasn't a man who took well to being ordered around by anyone. Yet in the end he nodded; Minako and Rei were right. It was his fault that this had happened. In trying to protect his Usako from harm, he had left her vulnerable and open for their enemies to take control of her. A chill went through him; maybe by breaking up with Usagi to protect her, he had helped make his dream come true instead…

"It all started shortly after Chibi-Usa showed up," he said slowly. "I kept having these visions of another place… a city made of crystal every time I touched her. And then the dreams came…"

"Dreams," questioned Mercury.

"Dreams of Usagi dying," he replied, the pain and horror evident in his eyes. "Every night, I watched her die and I couldn't do anything to protect her. The voice in my dream told me that Usagi would die if we were together."

"Let me see if I got this straight," Venus said in a calm, deadly voice, a hint of how angry she was at the moment. "You broke up with my Princess over a fucking dream? A damn dream and she's out of your life like yesterday's news!"

Tuxedo Kamen flinched as each of her words cut into with the razor sharp accuracy of her Venus Love-Me Chain. The same weapon she was currently holding and ready to use to beat him with, if Jupiter hadn't wrestled it from her.

"Give him a break, Venus," said Mars. "You have to remember that dreams are what led him to Usagi in this life in the first place."

The Senshi of Venus let out a sound that sounded suspiciously like a snort, although no one in their right mind would accuse the avatar of the goddess of love and beauty of snorting, particularly since she happened to be highly pissed of with the Prince of Earth; it wouldn't take much for her to redirect her anger at another target.

"Okay so we know what caused the baka to break up with Usagi-chan," Jupiter said. "So how do we get Usagi back?"

"Simple," Mars replied. "Next time Usagi shows up, we hog tie her and combine our powers to debrainwash her."

"Chibi-Usa could help as well," Mercury added thoughtfully, staring at the little girl in question. "I don't know where that pink glow came from, but it seems that she had some sort of inner power that could help us reach Usagi-chan."

"Okay, so we have a plan," Venus said. "Now all we have to do is wait."

* * *

Wise Man waited as Lady Nemesis appeared by his side in a swirl of black rose petals. Anger burned in her eyes, although somewhere in those depths he knew there was pain. Oh he had told her all the pain would be gone once she accepted the dark power of the Black Crystal but he knew that he couldn't allow her to be completely unfeeling. She needed the pain to drive her so he could direct her to fulfill his plans.

"My Queen," he said, respectfully as she sat on a black marble throne, her scepter floating before her.

"I want my revenge Wise Man and I want it now," she said.

"Yes, my Queen," Wise Man replied. "But to do that you'll need to gain control of the rest of the Dark Moon clan. Their abilities will aid you, but they all follow Diamund."

"Then Diamund shall die to set an example," said Lady Nemesis. "And then the rest will follow me if they treasure their lives."

"But there is a better way to win, my Queen."

"Explain yourself," she ordered.

"My queen, as you know, I and the others come from the future," Wise Man replied. "Diamund fell in love with your future form, but since she was...naïve to the treachery of those around her, she rejected Diamund in hopes that one day the Earth Prince would return to her. Her hopes were in vain and because of the treachery of the Senshi she lies sleeping in a crystal tomb until she regains the energy to free herself."

"I see," she replied. "Then I will make this Diamund, my consort and he and the others will be under my beck and call."

"Could you love Diamund," asked Wise Man.

"Who said anything about love," she said. "Love is an emotion for the weak. I will not be weak again. Call Diamund, Wise Man, so that he may greet his Queen."

"As you wish, my Queen," Wise Man replied. He waved a hand over his crystal ball and a few minutes later, a man with shoulder-length white hair and dark ice blue eyes entered the room. The man's uniform was entirely white and on his forehead was the insignia of the Dark Moon.

"You called, Wise Man," he demanded in a tone of voice that indicated his irritation for being summoned; but then a flash of silver caught his attention. He turned his head and eyes lit upon Lady Nemesis. "Who? How?"

"This is Lady Nemesis, Diamund," Wise Man explained. "She is the Queen of Nemesis and the Dark Moon clan."

"Queen," Diamund repeated. "But she looks so much like-"

"She is the younger counterpart," Wise Man said, effectively cutting off Diamund while at the same time weaving a spell around the man so he would not try to dispute who ruled who once he got over his shock of meeting Lady Nemesis. Little did both of these fools know, it was he ruled them all. "She has seen the truth and has embraced her true destiny. Come, show your allegiance to the Queen and gain a place in her heart."

Diamund approached Lady Nemesis and kneeled before her, taking the hand she offered him. "I am at your service, my Queen," he said, kissing her hand.

"Rise, Diamund," she ordered; her voice a soft and seductive caress. "Rise and be my consort. Protect and obey me, my love and we shall rule the universe with the Wise Man's council."

"Yes, my Queen. My love," replied Diamund as he stood, his blue eyes softening with love, not noticing the split second when her eyes revealed her scorn for him and the emotion he offered her. Her eyes flickered to Wise Man who exchanged a satisfied look with her. Diamund had fallen right into their web. A man in love was a fool.

"Diamund dearest," Lady Nemesis said, pressing herself against him. "Call me Serenity. It's much more intimate then 'my Queen' or 'Lady Nemesis.'"

"Serenity," Diamund said softly, testing the name on his lips. How he had longed for the pleasure of being able to call her by her name without any formalities, but he had never had that chance back in the future.

"Diamund, I have a mission for you and our minions," Lady Nemesis said softly, looking up at him with her cerulean blue eyes.

"I would do anything for you, Serenity," he declared.

"Good," she replied smiling. With a wave of her hand, five pictures suddenly appeared and flew towards Diamund. "Retrieve those individuals."

"May I ask why, Serenity?"

"I'll tell you later, my love," she replied evasively. "Just have them brought to me as soon as possible."

'_Soon the Senshi will pay,'_ she thought, as her plans played out in her mind. She anticipated the pain they would feel, the pain they had inflicted upon her. They would all pay!

'_No, don't do it,' _a voice whispered in her mind. _'Remember the truth, Serenity! Remember, before it's too late. Please, just remember.'_

'_Who's there,'_ she mentally screamed. _'Reveal yourself. What am I supposed to remember?'_

But the voice remained silent.

* * *

_**Final Thought Chibi-Usa:**_

_What was that power?_

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

_I'm working on creating a writing community (mostly for fan fiction writers) in my spare time. It's not quite finished, but take a look: __http:/spark..?act=idx_

_And again thank you to those who reviewed or who added this story as your favorite. =)_

Smckdwn823 - Bin82501 - CherrySerenity-sama - Moonlight Pheonix - roxirgirl - loveinthebattlfield

* * *

_**-chan**__ - suffix for a name that means family or close friend. may be offensive if you don't know that person well._

_**Senshi **_**-**_ soldier, warrior, fighter_

_**-sensei**__ - __suffix for a name, usually used when a student addresses a teacher_

_**-san**__ – common honorific used to refer to someone that one respects and looks up to_

_**Maboroshi no Ginzuishou -**__ Illusionary Silver Crystal_

_**baka - **__stupid, idiot_

_**miko**__ - priestess_

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim any rights to Sailor Moon or the characters associated with the anime/manga. Those rights belong to Takeuchi Naoko and anyone else she says has rights to it.


	5. Ch 5: The First Gift

_**Chapter**__** 5: The First Gift**_

Serenity stared at the pathetic five that were bound and gagged before her. They were huddled in a circle, as by being close together with others who were familiar in some way would help make things better, looking at her with utter disbelief and a hint of fear. However, she wasn't sure if the fear was for her or because Wise Man was lurking behind her like a phantom creeper. Or it could have been for the fact that Saphir, who was the one had taken care of the kidnappings, was standing at her side and staring down at them with a cold expression (one she was realizing on their short acquaintance was rather customary for the man) on his face.

Her own expression was one that could not be easily defined, at least not with any specific emotion. Her lips pulled in a rigid straight line; it was neither a frown nor a smile. If anything, she appeared thoughtful.

"Serenity," Diamund said, a question in his voice, as he came up behind her and wrapped his muscular arms around her lithe form. He had noticed the look on her face; however much to his annoyance he did not know her well enough to read it and figure out what was going on behind those cerulean blues. Then there was the fact that her eyes seemed just a tad bit off to him; yet whenever he tried to pinpoint the reason why, his mind seemed to shy away from the topic or the reason why his mind did that too.

"It's not enough," she answered. "This is a good start, but it's not enough. They will be hurt by this, yet it will not be enough. Not for what they have done. There must be something more. Something that will hurt them even more."

Her scepter appeared before her and the dark crystal glowed with power inside its glass prison. A dark ball of light appeared over the scepter and seemed to convey an image that only Serenity could see. Her eyes widened and then her lips curved into a smile.

"Perfect," she whispered, tapping an index finger against her chin thoughtfully. "Absolutely perfect. This will be the final nail in the coffin for the Senshi and Mamoru." She waved a hand over the crystal and a roll of paper formed above it. "Saphir. Use this map. It will react to what you need to obtain for me."

"As you wish, my Queen," Saphir replied, grabbing the nap and then disappeared as swiftly as he had appeared.

"While we wait for Saphir to complete his task, I think it's time to begin preparing the first part of our gift to the Senshi," she said, wrapping long slender fingers around the scepter and pointing them at the hostages.

A dark bubble appeared and closed around the hostages and floated above the dark marble floor. Serenity slipped out of Diamund's arms and walked out of the throne room, the bubble and Diamund trailing after her as walked down a long flight of stairs that led them deep into the heart of the castle. Finally after following her through a series of long winding corridors they entered a room where the Dark Crystal floated in the air above Emeraude.

"The preparations are ready," Emeraude said, her tone sulky and a touch defiant. One could hardly blame her considering the fact the man she loved was following the silvery haired bitch like a well-trained poodle. However, despite her jealousy she wasn't stupid enough to be too defiant and anger her beloved Prince. Not to mention that the Wise Man had made some promises to her… "Achiral and Chiral followed Saphir's instructions to make sure that everything fit your specifications… Queen Serenity."

It was clear that the title had been passed through the woman's lips with great reluctance. Another thing that had not escaped Serenity's notice was that the lime-haired woman had always made sure to never address her as 'my Queen'. Clearly she had felt no bond, not that it was expected. As long as Emeraude did as she was told and didn't challenge Serenity, she would live. However, it was clear that she would soon have to be terminated.

"Excellent," Serenity purred, as she flicked her wrist at the floating sphere that held the prisoners, causing the sphere and its captives to disappear.

A few seconds later the five appeared again, hanging in the air beneath the Dark Crystal. Serenity pointed her scepter at the crystal, causing a bolt of black lightning to shoot out of the dark Maboroshi no Ginzuishou and hit the larger crystal. The dark crystal glowed and pulsed with power before black tendrils of lightening shot down, swirling around the captives before changing into pulsating mass of flesh; five living cocoons that swallowed them whole.

"Now to add the final ingredients," she said. She held her staff out to Diamund, who took it without being told to or asking her any foolish questions.

Serenity then pulled out a small silver box from her subspace pocket and opened it. Inside the box, were five unique and very different strands of hair: one the dark blue of the ocean, one black as midnight although in certain lights would have a violet sheen to it, one the rich brown of dark chocolate, one the golden color of the morning sun, and finally a short strand of pure ebony.

She gathered all five strands of hair in her hands and threw them in the air. Time seemed to stop as they began to fall slowly to the ground, glowing like fireflies, before each strand darted into a different cocoon. She pulled out a dagger from her subspace pocket and without hesitation, she sliced the palm of her hand and watched in silent morbid fascination as the blood begin to well up from the cut.

"Blood of my blood," she whispered, walking to each cocoon and rubbing the blood on them "flesh of my flesh, breath to breath," she blew on the places that were stained with her blood, "my will is yours until death do us part."

Stepping back, Serenity allowed Diamund to wrap his arms around her again and press her against his body as they watched the cocoons glow with power and the fleshy masses pulsate.

"Soon," she whispered. "Soon the Senshi will receive the first of my gifts to them."

* * *

"That's the fifth time that this has happened," cried Minako. "I haven't even been anywhere near the gym in a month, but Kana keeps insisting that I was there and that this time I deliberately hit her in the stomach with a volleyball."

"You? Hit someone with volleyball," Makoto questioned skeptically. "But you're so nice that it gives people cavities. Heck, the only time I've seen you be mean to anyone was when you tried to strangle Artemis that one time."

"Well he had that coming," huffed the blonde, as she plopped down next to Ami on Rei's bed. "Ruining my new baby blue tank top. I got that thing on sale too."

"You are too young to wearing anything that skimpy," Artemis retorted, from his spot on the floor.

"I already have one dad, Artemis," said Minako. "I don't need another."

"It is pretty strange about Kana accusing of you of hitting her," Ami said, steering the conversation into safer waters before Artemis found himself being strangled by his owner once more. The chances were high considering the blonde was currently glaring at him and had a bit of a homicidal glint in her eyes.

"Ami-chan is right," said Makoto. "Right now we need to figure out a way to get Usagi back."

"Well it's not like we can do anything" replied Minako, biting her bottom lip. "It's been over a month and there hasn't been any sign of her or the Black Moon. And I don't know about you guys but this waiting is driving me crazy. I want Usagi-chan back now."

"You know it is peculiar," Ami mused. "Even if she has turned evil, she is still Usagi-chan and Usagi-chan has never been one to be patient about doing things. You would think that she would have made a move by now."

"Not unless the Wise Man changed that about her personality," Makoto said darkly. "Remember, she mentioned him while telling us that he had been brutally honest with her about our 'true colors?' He's gotta be the one who brainwashed her and when I get my hands on him, I'm going-"

"Hey guys," said a harassed looking Rei as she rushed into the room. "Sorry I'm late. Grandpa needed me for…."

"Needed you for what, Rei-chan," asked Ami.

"Who are you," Rei demanded, glaring at the blue-haired girl as she fell back into a fighting stance.

"What are you talking about, Rei-chan," Ami asked, appearing perplexed at the miko's behavior as the other girls and the cats. She exchanged worried glances with the others. Was the stress of Usagi's disappearance getting to Rei?

"You may look like Ami-chan, but you don't give up the same psychic waves that she does," the miko retorted. "Who are you and what have you done with Ami-chan?"

"What are you talking about, Rei-chan? Ami-chan is with me," said a child's voice from behind them. They all turned and gasped when they saw Chibi-Usa and Ami who were staring at the Ami in the room with shock. The other Senshi turned to stare at the Ami in the room who Rei had said wasn't the real girl genius that they knew and loved.

"Damn, I guess the jig's up," said the fake Ami, letting out a familiarly laugh that gave no meaning to annoyingly irritating. "It been fun girls, but I've got better things to do then hang out with you weaklings." Saluting them in farewell, she moved with lighting quick speed to get up and jumped through the closed window. The sound of shattering glass filled the air and the others rushed to the window to see the fake Ami land crouched on the ground before she took off running towards the forest that was near the Hikawa Shrine.

"Don't let her get away girls," Luna cried as she and Artemis jumped through the window to chase after the fake Senshi of Mercury. The others raced out of Rei's room and towards the direction that they had seen the felines run towards, only to find them in a clearing, sniffing the air furiously.

"Where did she go," Makoto demanded, angry that they had lost the other girl.

"Where did who go, Mako-chan?"

They all turned to see Usagi leaning against the tree. She wore a white tube top with a black leather vest over it and a short leather black skirt. Black knee-high boots completed the outfit. And glowing darkly on her forehead, was that cursed Dark Moon insignia that seemed to mock them for their failure in protecting their Princess.

"Usagi," Rei whispered. "Please remember me."

"The Wise Man made me face the truth. He didn't take away my memories. And don't call me that. You either address me as Lady Nemesis or Queen Serenity of Nemesis," Serenity replied.

"No, this isn't you, Usagi-chan," Makoto cried.

"Silence," the white-haired woman thundered, her eyes blazing with anger. "Do not make me tell you again. Never address me by that name." She paused and seemed to relax. "Now I didn't come here to fight. I wanted to give you guys a present. I'm sure you've noticed that you a few people seem to have been sick lately."

A chill went down their backs. Osaka Naru had been absent for school for a few weeks, although Haruna-sensei had reassured the class that Naru's mother had called to say that the redhead was out with nothing more then a terrible case of the stomach flu. Then there had been the Furuhata siblings. Neither of them had been seen for a while, although the people who were subbing for them at the Furuhata businesses claimed that the siblings were sick too, with the same stomach flu that Naru had. It hadn't beeped on their radar that something was wrong.

But Usagi possibly couldn't have done something to them. They were civilians and incapable of fighting back or defending themselves. Yet this wasn't the same Usagi they had known. The real Usagi, the one with a pure heart, would have never considered doing anything to harm a civilian. But who knows what the Wise Man had done to her besides brainwashing her.

"Ah," Serenity said with delight. "I see by your faces that you're starting to understand. Then let me introduce you to the newest servants of the Nemesis." She paused a moment for dramatic emphasis. Clearly that part of Usagi's nature had not been destroyed by the caped creeper.

"Sailor Seshat, Dark Senshi of Ice"

Ice crystals began swirling at a spot next to Serenity, before taking the form of a woman in a sailor fuku that was similar to Sailor Mercury's except for some subtle differences. Whereas Mercury's fuku was the same ocean blue of her hair and eyes and the bows were a pale sky blue, this fuku was a dark midnight blue, while her bows were just a few shades lighter. There were other differences as well. The jewel in her tiara matched the blue of her fuku and the earrings she wore were shaped into razor sharp icicles.

But if that wasn't disturbing enough this Dark Senshi looked eerily familiar somehow. Her eyes were dark brown, yet unlike Serenity there was nothing glassy about their appearance to suggest brainwashing. Her hair was a long and wavy auburn. While it had been a while since any of them had seen her, there was no mistaking her idenity. Sailor Seshat was Nishimura Reika, Motoki's girlfriend. None of them had even realized that she had been missing!

"Next, Sailor Menheit, Dark Senshi of Fire."

In a burst of flames the next Dark Senshi appeared and caused seven draws to drop because Sailor Menheit was Furuhata Unazuki! Menheit's sailor fuku was completely identical to Mars's except that hers was maroon and the bows on her fuku were black. Her hair was pulled up in its customary ponytail, the ribbon in her hair was black instead of the yellow one that the cheerful young woman preferred.

"Sailor Setekh, Dark Senshi of Thunder, come forth!"

Not to be outdone by her fellow Senshi, Sailor Setekh appeared in a bolt of lightning. After seeing the first two Dark Senshi, the girls and the felines weren't as startled by the presence of another Dark Senshi, although who it was still upsetting. Sailor Setekh was Osaka Naru. Being Jupiter's dark counterpart, Setekh's fuku, of course, looked exactly like the Senshi of Jupiter's except for some minor differences. Her fuku was a dark forest green and the bows of her fuku silver. Little lighting bolts dangled from her ears.

"And of course, no Sailor Senshi team wouldn't be complete without a leader," Serenity said, smiling evilly. "Sailor Isis, Leader of the Dark Senshi and Dark Senshi of Hate."

Sailor Isis, appeared in a swirl of black flower petals. She wore a bronze colored sailor fuku with a navy blue bows, a gold linked chain looped around her waist. But what made her appearance so startling was that she was someone the Senshi, with the exception of Minako, had met only once. The civilian identity of this particular Senshi was Katarina Williams, the blonde's English friend!

"Last but not least," said Serenity. "An antithesis for Tuxedo Kamen." Out of the shadows a man wearing black armor appeared next to the Dark Senshi, his blonde hair shining in the sunlight. Evil or not, Furuhata Motoki was still gorgeous and just plain sexy in the armor, which was the general thought that occurred in the minds of the females (Artemis would have been aghast at such thoughts if he knew). "Meet Nemesis Knight. Now that I've given my gift to you, I'll be leaving. Isis!"

"Yes my Queen," Sailor Isis replied, kneeling down before Serenity.

"Do you remember your orders," inquired Serenity.

"Yes. To engage the Senshi in battle," Caritas replied. "And then we are to capture Rabbit."

"Excellent," Serenity replied. "In that case I'll be leaving now."

Serenity turned and held her right hand up, palm up and sent a surge of dark energy, creating a large portal. She then turned and walked into the portal.

"Usagi no," Rei cried, moving toward her friend to stop her, but was cut off by Sailor Menheit.

"I don't think so," Menheit said in a taunting voice. "Your fight is with me."

* * *

_**Final Thought Emeraude:**_

_UGH! I HATE HER! Why my Prince? WHY?_

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

_And again thank you to those who reviewed or who added this story as your favorite. Enjoy the latest twist to the tale. You can find images of what the Dark Senshi look like, or at least as close as to what they look, like on my dA page: __http(semicolon)/darksongstress(dot)deviantart(dot)com_ =)

Bin82501 - Crystal _(Maybe. Maybe not. So many choices as to who the mysterious voice could belong to._) - Faerex - plutomoon2 - hornsofdesolation - CherrySerenity-sama - loveinthebattlefield - ChibiChibi

* * *

_**-chan**__ - suffix for a name that means family or close friend. may be offensive if you don't know that person well._

_**Senshi **_**-**_ soldier, warrior, fighter_

_**-sensei**__ - __suffix for a name, usually used when a student addresses a teacher_

_**-san**__ – common honorific used to refer to someone that one respects and looks up to_

_**Maboroshi no Ginzuishou **__- Illusionary Silver Crystal_

_**baka - **__stupid, idiot_

_**miko**__ – priestess_

_**Seshat **__- Egyptian goddess of wisdom, knowledge and writing_

_**Menheit**__ – Egyptian goddess of war, also known as "she who massacres"_

_**Setekh**__ – another spelling for Set, Egyptian god of storms_

_**Isis**__ – Egyptian goddess of fertility_

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim any rights to Sailor Moon or the characters associated with the anime/manga. Those rights belong to Takeuchi Naoko and anyone else she says has rights to it.


	6. Ch 6: Senshi Smackdown

_**Chapter 6: Senshi Smackdown**_

'_This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. This is all a bad dream and all I have to do is wake up.'_

Those were the kinds of thoughts that kept running through the heads of the Senshi as they stared into the faces of the Dark Senshi and the man now known as Nemesis Knight. Into faces that belonged to people that they knew and called friend. But those faces were not the same as they once were. Oh physically they looked the same as they always had, yet there was something different to them that was almost indescribable. The best way to put it into words was to say that there faces were cold, almost indifferent if one could ignore the malevolent expressions that didn't bode well for the continued good health of the Senshi.

There was no need for Artemis or Luna to order the girls to transform. They had learned their lesson the before when they had met their brainwashed Princess for the first time. If their best friend could attack them without hesitation and ill intent, there was no reason why these five would not be the same. Whatever had been done to them, which now was not the time to quibble over that detail, had turned yet another friend into a foe. A foe that could not be destroyed, because that would harm the person that they had once known. And that one fact tied the hands of the Senshi and gave their enemy a great advantage in this war between them and the Black Moon clan.

"Mercury Star Power!"

"Mars Star Power!"

"Jupiter Star Power!"

"Venus Star Power!"

"Make up!"

In a flash of dazzling color and crash of the very elements of nature, the four teenage girls were replaced by the Sailor Senshi who saved the world on what seemed to be a bi-annual basis since they had awakened their powers. They stood in a tense show down their dark counterparts, each side seeming to wait to see who would make the first move.

Chibi-Usa stood nearby, hiding behind a tree with the cats; the young girl's thoughts went back to another similar battle a few months earlier between the Senshi and AyakashiSisters of the Black Moon clan. That fight had been terrifying to a child as young as her, no matter how smart and mature she was¸ but this one was much worse in comparison even though it had yet to start. It wasn't too hard to figure out why. Before Sailor Moon had been here while the others had fought… had protected her Rubeus had attacked them. This time there was no Sailor Moon. No warm embrace of someone who was trusted and made her feel safe as she did when she was with her mother.

The stand off didn't last long, nor would the Senshi think it surprising later when they thought back upon about which Dark Senshi had started the fight; she had never been the patient type before, after all.

"Menheit," Menheit raised her right hand above her head, fire spilling forth from her hand like a cascade of water, except for the fact that it was the wrong element, "Flare," the fire flowed down and swirled around her so that she was no longer visible through the fire, "Blitz!"

One moment there was a human-shaped column of fire in front of them and the next that fire was smashing into Sailor Mars and sending her flying back. If Jupiter hadn't reacted, Mars would have slammed into a tree; as it was both Senshi were bruised and scratched up from skidding on the ground. What was even more troublesome was the fact that Mars looked a bit singed, which was thought to be nearly impossible since fire was her element of control. Even with her battles with Koan hadn't done that after her power had grown; the two had been evenly matched. Yet in this case, it looked as if that might not be the case.

However there was no time to theorize on the point. The gauntlet had been dropped by that first attack and the battle had begun.

"Seshat Freeze Shock!"

What appeared to be hundreds of thousands shards of ice suddenly formed around Sailor Seshat, hanging in the air for a moment and crackling with electrical energy before they shot towards Mercury. The Senshi of Ice tried to dodge the attack, but there were so many ice shards that it was impossible to avoid every one. Each time she got hit, she felt a electric charge that sizzled along her skin before leaving her with the feel of being cold to the bone in the spot that was had suffered a direct hit.

"Setekh Electroweb!"

Sailor Setekh hand moved swiftly in the air, creating a spiderweb that was made up from lighting that was slender as spider silk. Once the web was completed she slammed her palm against the center of it and sent it hurtling towards Jupiter. Like Mercury she was unable to avoid the attack, not because there was too many to avoid but because the electric web grew larger in size before it fell on her, wrapping her in the painful electric threads. She cried out in pain, falling to the ground.

Sailor Venus turned toward her dark counterpart, one hand resting on the chain that hung from her waist. Even having seen it, it was still hard for her to comprehend that more friends had been turned against them. More people she cared about, that she would have to fight. Isis was Katarina, someone who was dear to her even though they hadn't seen each other in quite some time. They had kept in touch with phone calls and e-mails, retaining their close relationship. So it hurt to know she'd have to fight this friend once more. The first time it had been because Kunzite had used her against Venus and now this time it was her best friend, both people who held pieces of her heart.

It hurt more then words could say, but she knew she had to remain strong. She had to be strong, because being weak wouldn't get Katarina back. Nor would it help her get back Usagi. She had lost one person she loved, she refused to lose anymore people. She didn't blame Usagi for Katarina's second brush with the dark side, nor did she blame Kunzite for the first. Because in both instances, the two people she cared for had been used by others. Queen Beryl had been at fault for Kunzite, Wise Man for Usagi. She would not fail Katarina or Usagi. She would not let down the others. She was the leader of the Senshi and if she was weak, it would weaken the others and they wouldn't stand a chance at getting back Usagi.

"Katarina, please you don't have to do this," she pleaded. "Snap out of it. This isn't you."

"Katarina is nothing more then alias," Isis retorted. "A mere mask to be worn until my Queen summoned me. The Queen you should have treated better! Now pay for your sins!"

Isis grabbed the chain hanging at her waist and snapped it free. "Isis Hate-Chain Crack!" She snapped the chain at Venus, who had the good sense to react and grab her own chain and counterattack.

"Venus Love-Me Chain!"

The two attacks met, the chains vibrating from the force of the collision and the power driving each of them. Yet unlike the other attacks, Venus was able to hold her ground, barely. The two powers pushed at each other and while it moments it seemed like Venus would be overpowered and lose, she was able to hold on.

Was Venus stronger then her companions? Was Isis weaker? Or was it because of Venus's resolve to get back her friends and kick Wise Man's ass from one end of the universe and back again for what he had done to her friends? No one could know for sure. However, one thing was clear. They had a chance and the stalemate helped the other three Senshi find their strength to hold on.

"Mercuy Shine Aqua Illusion!"

"Seshat Freeze Shock!"

"Mars Burning Mandela!"

"Menheit Flare Blitz!"

"Jupiter Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

"Venus Love-Me Chain!"

"Isis Hate-Chain Crack!"

There was an explosion of energy as the attacks of Senshi and Dark Senshi crashed against each other, however this time around it seemed that things had evened up a bit. The Senshi weren't winning exactly, but they weren't having their asses handed to them anymore either. There was a renewed sense of energy in them that came from Venus's stalemate and desire to overcome the odds to achieve their main goal. Before it would have Usagi, no Sailor Moon, who would have done this for them, but without their Princess it was Venus who led them and was their pillar of strength. They might not be able to beat the Dark Senshi, yet, but they would hold their own in this battle.

Meanwhile, Chibi-Usa watched the battle, her crimson eyes wide with fear and worry. It had sacred her at first to see how easily Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury had been injured by their dark counterparts. She had bitten her bottom lip so hard when Venus had had her first showdown that it caused her lip to bleed. It was still bleeding as she watched the Senshi battle, the metallic taste of blood in her mouth only adding to heighten her anxiety. The cats tried to reassure of all being well, but even they couldn't quite hide their worry. Plus she could make out some of there whispered conversation with each other.

"….powers are too strong."

"….they don't even possess Sailor Crystals…"

"….must have used the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou.."

"….not sure…"

"Please," Chibi-Usa prayed, "please Mama. Help the Senshi win. Help them get their friends back and turn Usagi back to normal. Please."

"Praying isn't going to help you little girl," came a male voice from above her.

She looked up and let out an eep as she saw a man standing on the tree branch above. Furuhata Motoki or now known as Nemesis Knight stood there, looking down at her with an evil grin that she had never seen on Motoki-onii-san's face before. He was dressed in what she imagined a dashing knight would wear, sans the whole metal suit deal. It reminded her of some drawings she saw in Usagi's room of Mamoru. She hadn't mentioned it to the older girl, but she had stolen the picture and taken it to her room since she thought it looked so cool. Mamoru was cool just being himself, but Mamoru with a sword was ultra-cool.

Chibi-Usa grabbed the cats and began backing away. She had a feeling that Nemesis Knight wasn't just standing in that tree for the view. She had been stupid to stay there. Five bad guys, four Senshi; those weren't good odds for her and she didn't doubt for a minute that the Black Moon wasn't still after her anymore. They seemed like the type to follow thought with the job even if the objectives changed, just because they hated loose ends and she was definitely a loose ends.

"Not so fast," Nemesis Knight said, jumping down and coming towards her. Luna and Artemis wiggled free of her arms and jumped at him, fur puffed up, hissing, and claws extended as cats tended to do when they were attacking and wanted to seem more threatening. It did them little good as he used one arm to catch them in the gut and send them flying back at the ground.

"Luna! Artemis!" Chibi-Usa rushed to their sides, gently picking up the defeated felines. There was no way she could leave them behind, even though they pleaded with her to do so in pained voices. She glanced up as Nemesis Knight approached, knowing there was no way to run even if she did take in her mind to do so.

As he reached for her, a flash of red appeared before them. The man yelped in pain, yanking his hand back as blood welled up from a cut caused by the rose that was now embedded in the ground. Tuxedo Kamen landed between Chibi-Usa and Nemesis Knight. The child could tell the exact moment when her savoir realized who her attacker was because his body flinched as if he had been hit. Tuxedo Kamen's eyes slid to the battle nearby, making out the forms of the Dark Senshi and recognizing three of them (since he had never met Katarina, he had no idea who she was), and quickly realizing the situation at hand.

"Back off Motoki," he growled, holding his cane in front of him. "Believe me you don't want to do anything you'll regret later when you're back to normal." He knew from experience. He had never told Usagi, but when had regained his memories, he had also remembered his stint as a lackey of Queen Beryl and the things he had done to her. There were no words to describe how much those memories bothered him and he didn't want his friend to have those kinds of memories. Motoki was too gentle-hearted to be able to deal with that kind of thing.

"You know nothing of me," snarled the other man, drawing his sword and attacking. The two men fought, cane against sword although one should never estimate a cane; at least never underestimate one that was owned and being used by Tuxedo Kamen. Besides it was clear from the start that Tuxedo Kamen was the better swordsman. Nemesis Knight, underneath it all, was still Motoki and the blond had never been much of a fighter.

Yet despite the obvious advantage of Tuxedo Kamen, it didn't look like this would be an easy battle. Like the Senshi, the masked man's hands were tied by the fact that he didn't want to injure his friend and Nemesis Knight clearly didn't suffer from the same handicap. If anything, he was doing his damn best to take advantage of it, so when there was moment when Tuxedo Kamen hesitated instead of using his advantage, the other man struck, managing to make a deep cut in the dark-haired man's right side.

"Mamo-chan!" screamed Chibi-Usa, completely and utterly terrified and worried when she saw the blood. Suddenly a bright pink glow surrounded her, the same glow that had appeared before when Lady Nemesis had first appeared. The glow around her intensified and expanded, filling the area. The Senshi and the Dark Senshi paused in their battle, glancing at the little girl.

"What's going on," Nemesis Knight demanded, trying to swat away at the light with his sword.

Sailor Isis tilted her head, as if she was hearing someone speak to her before she nodded in the affirmative. "Retreat," she ordered.

"W-what?" wailed Sailor Menheit. "Why? No, I don't want to. I'm winning!"

"Now Menheit," Isis snarled. "Her Majesty's orders."

"Fine," was the surly reply. It was clear that the Dark Senshi of Fire was not happy about the turn of events, although she wouldn't disobey her Queen. "Until next time Mars." In a sudden burst of flames, Sailor Menheit disappeared. The others followed suit, all disappearing in their dramatic fashion.

The glow around Chibi-Usa faded away when the last of their enemies had vanished; the little girl then collapsed to the ground.

* * *

_**Final Thought from Sailor Menheit:**_

_But I was winning!_

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

_I am pleased about the reactions I've received about evil Serenity and the creation of the Dark Senshi. However evil Serenity has another trick or two to torment the Senshi and Mamoru a little more. And as for the Senshi showdown… writing fight scenes are not my forte. I tried my best so I hope you guys enjoyed my effort._

James Birdsong - Lucyole - LoveInTheBattleField - setsuns1415 - Caytlyn Rose - Neanda

**DGRFA**

Anonoymous _(Thanks. I enjoy putting in the final thoughts, particularly when the character has something funny to add.)_

* * *

_**-chan**__ - suffix for a name that means family or close friend. may be offensive if you don't know that person well._

_**Senshi **_**-**_ soldier, warrior, fighter_

_**-sensei**__ - __suffix for a name, usually used when a student addresses a teacher_

_**-san**__ – common honorific used to refer to someone that one respects and looks up to_

_**Maboroshi no Ginzuishou **__- Illusionary Silver Crystal_

_**baka - **__stupid, idiot_

_**miko**__ – priestess_

_**Seshat **__- Egyptian goddess of wisdom, knowledge and writing_

_**Menheit**__ – Egyptian goddess of war, also known as "she who massacres"_

_**Setekh**__ – another spelling for Set, Egyptian god of storms_

_**Isis**__ – Egyptian goddess of fertility_

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim any rights to Sailor Moon or the characters associated with the anime/manga. Those rights belong to Takeuchi Naoko and anyone else she says has rights to it.


	7. Ch 7: Aftermath

_**Chapter 7: Aftermath**_

Saphir barely suppressed a shiver, thankful that this errand that the Queen had sent him on had at least guided him to an underground cave in this frozen wasteland. It was no surprise to him that there were no human inhabitants here, even those with magic as he possessed, would be hard pressed to survive in such temperatures. At least here in the cave there was barely any wind blowing at it had been outside (he had the misfortune to of being sent during a storm apparently), except for a few drafty breezes that reminded him of the cold.

The next time he was being sent off as an errand boy, he was going to make damn sure that it was somewhere warm. Let that cackling hyena, Emeraude deal with subzero temperatures. He wasn't particularly thrilled with the new Queen of Nemesis but at least he had the sense not to come off as hostile and defiant as Emeraude had; love had made her foolish, although he was of the opinion that the woman had a fangirl crush on his elder brother.

The dark-haired man wandered through the caverns, glancing occasionally at the map that he had been given. The only thing it had done for him thus far was give the coordinates of where to look; it had yet to give any sign of him being near his goal. It made him question if there was anything here. He didn't doubt that Queen Serenity had sent him to retrieve something, only that perhaps the item no longer existed where she thought it would be. Yet one could not discount the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou and its power. Hadn't it been the jewel that had told her?

Suddenly the map began to glow bright and grow warm in his hands. Saphir paused to look it and then glance around his surroundings. There was nothing that could be seen yet obviously what he sought was here. Cautiously he took a few steps in one direction and noticed that the glow of the paper had dimmed. Okay, so the map was working as a divining rod; he switched directions and kept moving as the map grew brighter and warmer in his hand. It finally got to a point that it was to hot from him to hold. He dropped it and soon as it hit the ground, it burst into flames that soon died out after a few minutes.

The flames had melted a hole into the frozen floor. Saphir knelt down and reached into the whole, his hands closing onto something solid and rectangular in shape. He pulled out a plain wooden box. Curiosity of what it contained and to find some answer of why he was sent to seek it, made him open the box. The inside of the box was lined with black velvet and laying in a row were four stones of varying shades.

"What could these stones possibly do against the Senshi," he pondered aloud. He traced a finger against one of the stones, wincing as he felt a shock go through his body. The stones, or at least that one stone, held some sort of energy. There was a certain flavor to the energy… it was almost masculine.

"What do you have planned," he whispered, but there was no answer. The only one who could wasn't here to answer him and even if she was, he doubted he would get an answer.

* * *

"I have my eye on you mister," Rei's grandfather said, shaking his index finger at Mamoru. It was clear that the old man considered the younger man a threat to the virtues of his granddaughter and her friends. Considering the pervy thoughts that went through his own head, it wasn't particularly surprising. As to why he didn't freak out about Yuuichirou's presence around the girls? Well it was clear that the brunette was very much cowed and in awe of Hino-san.

"One wrong move, my boy and you'll see my Hino High Kick of High Pain!"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure Mamoru-san is suitably terrified," Rei said, ushering her grandfather from her bedroom. "Honestly. There are six of us and one of him. You'd think you'd be more worried about his virtue."

"What? Rei? What are you-"

The door was firmly closed in the old man's face. Rei let out a breath and waited a few minutes, until she was certain her grandfather had left to go complain to Yuuichirou about how mean she was being. It wasn't as if she was but sometimes the old man, as much as she loved him, could be embarrassing. Besides, they had more important things to tend to and they couldn't have her grandfather around asking questions.

"Lay down Mamoru-san," Ami instructed, as she and Makoto helped the man lay on his left side. While like the Senshi, Mamoru had a higher healing factor when he was in the form of his alter ego, they had needed to discuss the new turn of events and standing in the forest near Rei's shrine in their transformed forms wasn't the best place for such discussions. There were just too many people that visited the shrine who enjoyed taking a stroll through those woods.

So to avoid being stumbled upon by anyone (which would have led to being badgered with questions and autographs; as much as they liked to keep under the radar it was hard thing to do when you saved the word bi-annually from bad guys), they had decided to return to Rei's place. Unfortunately this meant they had to revert back to the civilian forms, which while sustaining a higher rate of healing then the average person was far too low when having to heal a wound such as one that Mamoru had sustained. His wound had to be taken care of before they could do anything else.

With patience and care, Ami eased off the man's green jacket and passed it to Minako. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the Senshi of Mercury had to bite back a smile as she saw her blonde friend hide the horrendous fashion disaster in her subspace pocket. Selene only knew how often Usagi had complained about that jacket and how she had tried to remove it from Mamoru's wardrobe; yet she had always failed because the man had seemed to possess some kind of radar on it. Her amusement faded as she thought about the reason why the jacket's removal had become possible. They had to get Usagi back.

Ami pulled up Mamoru's black shirt, wincing as she saw the cut in his side that had been caused by Motoki. No, she corrected, Nemesis Knight. If she thought of the other man as the friend she knew, it would be harder to fight him. Just as it would be harder to fight the Dark Senshi and her own best friend. Yet the Senshi of Wisdom had realized after the end of their battle, that the only way to win and thus gain back the ones they had lost to the Black Moon was to fight seriously. To do any less would mean they would lose because the Dark Senshi had no qualms about fighting them.

"This is going to need stitches…" she said, glancing up at Rei.

The miko nodded before leaving the room for a few minutes before returning with a large First Aid kit and a half-full bottle of whiskey. "I figured it'd help," the Senshi of Mars said when her friends looked at her weirdly. "Well they're always drinking some kind of alcohol in the movies when somebody's getting stitched up. I figured it'd help."

"Thanks Rei," Mamoru said, raising himself up enough to take the bottle and take a quick swig. The liqueur burned its way down its throat, but the burn of alcohol was a lot less then the burn in his side. He had been stupid; he had let himself too open in the fight when he had hesitated. He honestly didn't think he had it in him to actually hurt his friend, let alone kill him, but he should have been smart enough to at least make sure that he was on guard at all times.

"Maybe Chibi-Usa should go outside for this," Artemis suggested, glancing at the little girl who was currently staring at Mamoru with wide-tear filled crimson eyes.

"No," the little girl said in a tone that was very similar to Usagi's when the blonde decided on something that she wouldn't budge on. "Mamo-chan got hurt protecting me. The least I can do is be here and hold his hand while he gets stitched up."

The white cat wanted to argue against it, but a sharp claw in the tail had him biting his tongue. He glanced at Luna who gave him a look that was easy enough to interpret. The child had seen a lot in her young life that was a lot worse then seeing a man having a wound stitched up. For whatever reason, whether it really was out of gratitude, the child was going to stay and it was a waste of breath to continue arguing.

Chibi-Usa sat by the bed and took Mamoru's free hand in hers. The man smiled at the little girl who was trying to be brave for his sake; one would think it was she who was being stitched up and not him. He nodded at Ami to continue and looked away, knowing that watching the procedure would only make it hurt worse.

The blue-haired teen got the needle ready and swallowed nervously. Her dream was to be a doctor one day and she read medical textbooks in her spare time, but it was one thing to dream of a someday and read about something and quite another to do. She glanced at her friends who all nodded at her encouragingly. Swallowing again, she set to work trying not to flinch when Mamoru visibly winced when the needle entered his flesh for the first time. She focused on her task, moving as quickly as possible but not so much to sacrifice efficiency.

Twenty minutes and thirteen stitches later the task was done. Ami moved away as Makoto stepped and took over to make sure the closed wound was properly cleansed and then bandaged. Another few minutes and Mamoru was sitting up with his shirt pulled over the wound and not a moment too soon as Rei's grandfather barged in once more 'to bring them treats to enjoy' but in reality to check up on them. Rei chased the old man away once more and set about passing out the snacks.

"Okay, can I say we're like officially screwed nine ways to Venus," said Minako, biting into a cookie glumly. "I mean we barely walked away without having our asses handed to us."

"The Dark Senshi don't even have to lift a finger and they're stronger then us," Makoto added. "I really had to focus my power to actually stand a chance against Sailor Setekh."

"They're also not brainwashed like Usagi-chan," Rei added, her expression thoughtful as thought back in the battle. "Their eyes were perfectly clear. Nothing cloudy or glassy looking about them at all. Motoki-onii-san was the same. If anything I think something was done to them to change them into what they are now. I don't think they respond if we called them by their real names."

"Well fu-" Minako started to curse and noticing a pointed look from everyone, remembering that Chibi-Usa was present which meant using certain four-letter words wouldn't be acceptable. "-udge. If they don't know their own names then we can't get that as a way to help snap them out of it. I mean at least with Usagi-chan she knows who she is even if they fudged up her memories."

"That's not the only problem," Ami said, who had previously taken out her Mercury data computer and typing at it. "I didn't know when Usagi-chan would show up so I created some data cams to be used during the battle." The others thought back and remembered vaguely Ami throwing what appeared to be pebbles in the air; so that's what that had been. "From the data I collected, what's been done to Dark Senshi and Motoki-onii-san isn't natural. None of them were ever meant to be warriors, not like us. We were born to fight and protect but they're truly civilians. They've had magic and powers forced into them and changing them."

"Somehow I have a feeling there is more bad news coming with that," Makoto said.

"If they don't get changed back to their former selves soon, this change is going to kill them," Ami said, her face grim. "And it's not going to be nice and easy death either."

The room fell silent as the Senshi of Wisdom's words sank in. The silence in the room seemed to deepen as they realized that the young woman they loved and cared about had done something so horribly wrong as what was done to the Dark Senshi and their male companion. The Usagi-chan they knew would have never harmed another being like that unless it happened to be a bug and anyone made an exception for those creepy things. Out of all them, Usagi was the one who hated fighting the most. She fought to protect the planet and her loved ones, but their Princess was really a pacifist and would prefer to find another way then to use the great and deadly power that she possessed.

"I uh also managed to record that bright light that surrounded Chibi-Usa," Ami said, changing the subject as it was more then depressing. "It's going to take another few minutes but I think I'll be able to pinpoint what it is. Just another second…" The blue-haired Senshi blinked. She then pulled her glasses out of her subspace pocket and put them on and glanced at her computer again.

"Ami what's wrong," Luna asked.

"Um… well… the Mercury computer has identified the light that was emitted from Chibi-Usa but… I'm not sure how this can be right."

"What is it?"

"The energy signature that came from that light… it's the same as the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou."

* * *

_**Final Thought from Mamoru, Makoto, Minako, Rei, Luna and Artemis:**_

_SAY WHAT?_

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

_I apologize for taking so long to update this story. I actually had intended to update it last week, but then the next chapter of __**Back To Your Heart**__ demanded to be written. Anyways here is the awaited chapter, I'm sorry it's not longer then what it is considering how much I've made yall wait. However each chapter has a certain part of the story to tell and so it turned out this way. _

_Anywho some people have requested permission to draw fan art of some of the characters and here is my response to all of you who asked, check out Journal entry on deviantArt, my username is DarkSongstress.  
_

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed or added this story as a favorite or their story alerts._

CherrySerenity-sama _(Thanks. So relieved that I didn't fail at this fighting business)_ - inufan155687 - James Birdsong - LoveInTheBattleField -Song That Sings It's Own - Shego-Go - Tskuyomi Konata - VampireQueen21 - Yurrie

**deviantArt**

MySweetQueen-Dolls - Lucas100000

* * *

_**-chan**__ - suffix for a name that means family or close friend. may be offensive if you don't know that person well._

_**Senshi **_**-**_ soldier, warrior, fighter_

_**-sensei**__ - __suffix for a name, usually used when a student addresses a teacher_

_**-san**__ – common honorific used to refer to someone that one respects and looks up to_

_**Maboroshi no Ginzuishou **__- Illusionary Silver Crystal_

_**baka - **__stupid, idiot_

_**miko**__ – priestess_

_**Seshat **__- Egyptian goddess of wisdom, knowledge and writing_

_**Menheit**__ – Egyptian goddess of war, also known as "she who massacres"_

_**Setekh**__ – another spelling for Set, Egyptian god of storms_

_**Isis**__ – Egyptian goddess of fertility_

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim any rights to Sailor Moon or the characters associated with the anime/manga. Those rights belong to Takeuchi Naoko and anyone else she says has rights to it.


	8. Ch 8: Return of the Four Heavenly Kings

_**Chapter 8: Return of the Four Heavenly Kings**_

As he had expected, the Queen of Nemesis had praised Saphir for finding that which she had sent him to find, but had ignored all of his attempts, subtle and not so subtle, to find out why she had requested the box. That irked him to a certain extent, but she was his superior so she wasn't obligated to tell him anything.

However what did bother him was that when his brother, noting his persistent line of questioning, had tried to question her about it after Saphir had left the throne room (although he hadn't moved out of eavesdropping distance) and he been rudely rebuffed as well. Since Diamund was definitely not anyone's inferior, he had every right to know what Serenity was planning with that box of stones. It didn't matter that she was called the Queen of Nemesis; Diamund had been Nemesis's Prince first and really he should have been called King and she a mere Princess; at least that's how Saphir thought of things and he was certain the others did too (particularly one hyena-laughing lime-haired pain in the ass).

But somehow either Serenity or Wise Man had maneuvered the situation where Serenity was the one who ruled the Black Moon clan and Nemesis, while Diamund was merely her minion. Wise Man had more status with her then Diamund, which made the Prince's younger brother suspicious that perhaps the cloaked old fool had more power then what they thought. It was something to think about on his own. There were few people he was willing to share his thoughts with and only one was here.

But his brother couldn't be trusted in this. He was Serenity's obedient and slavish consort. All he needed was a little kiss and cuddle and he was a happy camper. Diamund didn't see the coldness in Serenity's eyes, didn't realize that all he got was what could be amounted to lip service. Saphir suspected that Serenity loved no one anymore and if she could that love would be reserved to the man in this century who would one day be King Endymion of Earth.

It was clear to him that whatever Serenity was planning it was something she had no intention of sharing with Diamund for a reason. He questioned whether Wise Man was aware of her plans; only a bit spying would give that information. So he had waited until the Queen had placated the Prince for not giving into his demands of information and followed her as she took the wooden box to her suite. He waited until he was certain she inside and distracted before moving to her door and quietly opening it a crack so he could get a view inside.

He watched as Serenity sat the wooden box on a table in her room and slowly begin to open the lid-

Saphir felt someone grab his arm and yank him back away from the door. It was his fault. He had been too preoccupied trying to see inside and find out what secrets the Queen had, that he hadn't thought about his surroundings. He had forgotten about the Senshi and knight that the Queen had created to torment the Senshi. Personally he found it a slap in the face, as if he and the others weren't good enough to take on the Senshi. But then again the Queen, as a Senshi, had faced up with Crimson Rubeus and the four sisters and obviously found them lacking.

"What do you think you're doing," the man now known as Nemesis Knight demanded. Behind the other man, Saphir could see Sailor Setekh quietly close the Queen's door before turning to give him a dirty look.

"Not that it's any of _your_ concern, but the Queen is hiding information from my Prince," Saphir replied. "It's my duty to my Prince and my brother to find out what."

"Your loyalty should be to the Queen first," Sailor Menheit retorted, practically bristling with anger at a slight at her sovereign. Little flames danced up and down her arms. "The Prince is second to the Queen. Hell his title even implies it!"

"Prince Diamund was head of the Black Moon clan before the Queen was here," Saphir snarled back. "The only reason why there is a Queen is because my brother wanted her for his own."

"And looks like he's happy to let her take the lead now that he has her," Menheit replied sweetly, although there was nothing sweet in her expression. It was clear she was itching for a fight, probably because she was denied a chance at finishing her battle with Mars. It was to be expected since the Senshi had rallied and put up more of a fight that Menheit, the Dark Senshi of War would be thrilled and wanting to battle some more.

"Why you-" he snarled, moving towards her but stopped and ducked fast as a chain suddenly came flying towards his head. His quick reflexes saved him as the chain crashed into the wall behind and leaving a large crater indention.

"Leave," Sailor Isis said, her hand playing with the chain that was again wrapped around her waist once more as if had never left and tried to pulverize his skull. "What the Queen does is her business. If she wants you to know, then you'll know."

Saphir glared at the leader of the Dark Senshi, but while he was good he knew he wouldn't be able to take on all five of them at once. He turned and left, although he didn't go far; only far enough to be out of view before he masked his presence and then watch the five as they stood near the Queen's doors. It was a good thing that he did as he got an interesting site to see Sailor Isis, suddenly crumble to the floor; her face was only saved from kissing the floor when Nemesis Knight grabbed her and held her against him as the others gathered around to check on their leader.

'_Interesting,'_ he thought. He wasn't slow. While he hadn't seen what the Queen had done to the hostages before they changed into their current forms, he had spent enough time studying the TRUE Senshi to realize that the difference between them and the Dark Senshi was that they were born with their powers. What had been done to the Dark Senshi was unnatural. Magic forced into their veins which wasn't taking too well on their mortal bodies.

This wasn't right. He had done a lot of things in his life to help his brother achieve his goals, but nothing they had done had been of this magnitude. They had never forced magic into an unwilling vessel. Magic didn't always take well to people who weren't born with some of it in their veins. But for the unwilling… terrified hostages… well they might serve her now willingly but their bodies had suffered from the change. This was not right.

He hadn't liked it that this woman had come and taken his place. But now… now he liked it less that the woman his brother had wanted so much, was no longer the same. He hadn't like the attraction that Diamund had for Neo-Queen Serenity, but he had understood it. A powerful and brave woman, loyal to those she had loved or sworn to protect.

That woman was no more.

* * *

Inside the sitting room of her suite, Serenity placed the wooden box on the coffee table. She sat down on the white leather couch and leaned over and opened the lid of the box. Her finger traced over the four stones. The first was a translucent shade of green; the second was a mixture of yellow, brown, and gray; the third had a vitreous luster to it and was a shade of bright yellow; the final stone was almost colorless yet at the right angle you could see hints of purple or lilac in it.

Jadeite. Nephrite. Zoicite. Kunzite.

The names of the stones and the souls of the men that the stones contained. Once they had been generals in the Dark Kingdom, Beryl's generals. Before that they had belonged to Endymion. The thought of the man's name was alone to send a stab of pain in her heart, to bring up images of betrayal and the cruel words uttered. Her hand drew away from the stones and clenched in a fist, nails digging into soft flesh until drops of blood dripped from her fist and onto the stones.

Serenity sat back and waved a hand over the stones, the blue of her eyes glowed with power. The stones seemed to pulse before what appeared to be some kind of mist, kind of like the type that occurred when Genie popped out of his lamp in the Aladdin movies, rose above them and then moved to other side of the coffee table and took the form of four men. Instead of wearing the dark gray uniforms that she had last seen them in, but instead in the white and gold uniforms of the Silver Millennium before Beryl had claimed them for herself.

"Princess Serenity," Kunzite said, a question in his voice as all four men bowed in respect. However it was clear they were all confused by her appearance, although they were all quick on the uptake to understand that this was not the same woman they had once knew or the woman they had battled after they were reincarnated. "Why did you summon us?"

"Revenge," she replied. "The four of you are going to cause a great deal of pain to Endymion and the Senshi."

"Why would you want to hurt our Prince and your Senshi," Jadeite demanded to know. Even a second death had not made managed to curb his tongue any less then the first death.

"Because they BETRAYED me," Serenity retorted. "For that that they will pay dearly."

"The Prince and the Senshi would never betray you, Princess," Zoicite said, those green eyes watching her in a way that reminded her of Mercury. It was no wonder they had bonded once before. There were so many similarities yet, Zocite had been more playful and outgoing of the couple. He had brought Mercury out of her shell in the past.

"Sailor Jupiter would lay down her life for you, Princess," Nephrite added. "As would the Prince. There must be some mistake or someone is tricking you."

"There is no mistake," Serenity replied, her voice cold and firm. "They have betrayed me and they will pay. And you will help me."

"This isn't like you Princess," Kunzite said. His face was stoic, giving away nothing, but inside the general had an idea of what was going on. Serenity's eyes were not the eyes of the Princess of the White Moon, nor were they the same of the young woman who had become Sailor Moon and fought him. "You are not the kind of person who would harm another even if they harmed you first. And the Prince and the Senshi have never intentionally harmed you, which is why you are implying they have done. We won't help you do this thing. We won't hurt our Prince and the Senshi You'll only hurt yourself more in the end."

"Oh you'll help," Serenity retorted. "Or have you forgotten how easily you did so in the past. Betrayal comes easy to you four."

The looks on their faces told her she had scored a hit. Even the most stoic of them could not completely conceal the shame they felt for allowing themselves to be taken in by Beryl and the Dark Kingdom. Yet the shame was soon replaced with anger and defiance. _'Was this what Beryl had faced when she had tried to take them the first time,'_ Serenity wondered.

"No," Kunzite said, answering for himself and his comrades.

The woman before them was not the same. Serenity no matter how hurt she was by her loved ones could never deliberately hurt them. She would fight evil like Beryl and Queen Metallia, but if there was to ensure peace another way she'd take it. It wasn't in her nature to take revenge. What had been done to the Princess had turned her to this path and it was only a matter of time before her true nature would break through what had been done to her. The true woman would be devastated by her actions. It was their duty as the Shitennou, the guardians of Prince Endymion and the once lovers to the Guardian Senshi, to save their Princess from herself.

"So be it," Serenity replied, raising her hand and blasting with them with power. The men tried to stand against the power, but eventually fell to their knees as the pressure of it became too much. Whether they willed it or not, they would be pawns in Serenity's game to avenge herself of the pain that was done to her, real or imaginary.

'_Serenity stop this,'_ a voice whispered in the dark Queen's mind.

"No," she replied, the only acknowledgement she would give to the voice as she focused upon her task.

'_In the end you will only cause yourself more pain, my child, when you come to your senses.'_

"Whoever you are, you speak in riddles."

'_You know the truth deep down inside, Princess. The moment will come when ache in your heart dulls enough for you to see truth, you will regret all this and hurt even more because of your own actions.'_

"Silence," Serenity screamed and for once the voice was silent. The Queen stared at the ground where the Shitennou lay. Soon they would awaken and do her bidding as the Dark Senshi and Nemesis Knight did. And then the Senshi and Endymion would really start to understand the pain they had caused her.

* * *

_**Final Thought from Serenity:**_

_*to the mysterious voice* Who are you?_

* * *

**_Author's Note:_**

_Sorry I didn't update this past weekend with this story. Had about third of it written but couldn't get the rest out. Then it clicked in my head again that I write better with music in the background, so went through my playlist and then had a 'duh' moment. The inspiration and name for this story is Tourniquet by Evanescence. Soon as I put the song on repeat in the background and everything started pumping out. =) _

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed or added this story as a favorite or their story alerts._

CherrySerenity-sama • Bin82501 • Song That Sings It's Own • jka039 • MarsCrystal42 • LoveInTheBattleField • slack2011 • Shaydees

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_**-chan**__ - suffix for a name that means family or close friend. May be offensive if you don't know that person well._

_**Senshi **_**-**_ soldier, warrior, fighter_

_**-sensei**__ - __suffix for a name, usually used when a student addresses a teacher_

_**-san**__ – common honorific used to refer to someone that one respects and looks up to_

_**Maboroshi no Ginzuishou **__- Illusionary Silver Crystal_

_**baka - **__stupid, idiot_

_**miko**__ – priestess_

_**Shitennou **_**– **_translation Four Heavenly Kings; Endymion's four generals that Beryl stole._

_**Seshat **__- Egyptian goddess of wisdom, knowledge and writing_

_**Menheit**__ – Egyptian goddess of war, also known as "she who massacres"_

_**Setekh**__ – another spelling for Set, Egyptian god of storms_

_**Isis**__ – Egyptian goddess of fertility_

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**Disclaimer:** I do not claim any rights to Sailor Moon or the characters associated with the anime/manga. Those rights belong to Takeuchi Naoko and anyone else she says has rights to it.


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